


Beauty Within the Fallen

by NovelistServant



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Beauty and the Beast Elements, No shipping, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23317243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NovelistServant/pseuds/NovelistServant
Summary: Two misfit twins come across an enchanted castle, home of a mysterious beast, and slowly begin to form a strong bond that just might survive through anything. Even evil demons.AU belongs to the beautiful and very talented artsycrapfromsai over at Tumblr.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 37





	1. Once Upon A Time...

Once upon a time, deep within the woods of France, a wealthy man lived in a shining castle. While this man had all one could dream of - money, fame, a beautiful and intelligent wife, and three sons who were handsome in all aspects - the cup this man had chosen to fill had no bottom; it was never enough for him. Behind a mask of silver and gold, the family suffered. The eldest son, a humble man, broke away from the rich family and found love in a small, poor town. The mother, while heartbroken, was happy for her son and wished him nothing but joy, but the father disowned him and forbade any further contact.  
  
With the heir and eldest gone, more pressure fell on the man’s twin sons than ever before. Already far too used to shouldering impossible demands and harboring guilt and responsibility, the eldest twin looked elsewhere for comfort, since it had been proven that family was not the place to go to.  
  
His brother, younger by fifteen minutes, was worried for him and acted as he felt was best. One day he confronted the problem and tried to aid the older twin. Together, as a family, they had won the battle, but they would lose the war. A furious demon soon haunted their home, cackling and proclaiming that if one loved his precious journal so much why does he not become one. The younger twin tried to fight back, to once again remain victorious and to right the wrong he had started, but the demon, who sees all and knows all, could not be fought or conned; he knew what this man was and how he saw himself, so he decided to pair the human with his twin and he turned into what he saw himself as.  
  
The younger twin was transformed into a hideous monster, and all the servants of the castle were cursed, as well. All who had loved these people, all outside the castle’s walls, were freed of their memories of them, leaving the servants and the brothers forgotten. Confident that the younger brother would never accomplish such a task, the demon had it be known that only if he could find someone to love him the curse would be lifted. They did not have all the time in the world, however; since the older twin was the first to deal with the demon, the journal would slowly lose pages as time went on. When the last page of the journal leaves the cover, the curse would remain forever and the elder twin would be nothing more than an empty shell and the younger twin would remain a beast for all time.  
  
Years passed. The brothers lost all hope, coming to face the reality that all they had left in the entire world was each other. For who could ever care for such monsters?  


* * *

  
Sandwiched in the quiet village, made of stone and bricks and hard work, sat an odd house. Odd for it’s tiny porch full of flowers and herbs. Odd for it’s pig snoozing on the top of the small set of stairs leading to the garden. Odd for it’s residence and their interests, but it was home.  
  
Boots clicked against the wood as the little girl skipped out the door and picked up her pig and hugged him, leaving a laundry basket on the floor. Her brother slapped on his blue cap and made sure his matching vest was on well. His sister followed him down the steps with the big basket and the pig followed them down the street of the little town.  
  
“ _Bonjour!_ ”  
  
“ _Bonjour!_ ”  
  
“ _Bonjour, Monsieur!_ ”  
  
“ _Oui, oui, Madame! Mon plaisir!_ ”  
  
Mabel, in her peasant girl’s dress with a pink jacket and cloth for a headband, grinned and waved at an old lady across the slow street. “ _Bonjour_ , Susan!”  
  
Lazy Susan paused her job, walking into the shop with fresh cookies, and held the tray out to the twins. “Good morning, little pinetrees! Where are you off to?”  
  
“The library.” Dipper shared while his sister munched on a cookie. He gave Lazy Susan some money and took some bread from a tray on the window. “We just finished one about a knight and a swamp and a princess.”  
  
“It was wonderful!” Mabel cheered, her cheeks full of delicious cookie.  
  
“I preferred Shakespeare.”  
  
“Well, would you like a cookie, too, Dipper?” Lazy Susan asked, knowing the boy all too well to know he would only take one when directly offered.  
  
Dipper smiled, took a cookie, and he and Mabel said “ _merci_ ” before heading on their way.  
  
“ _Bonjour._ How is your family?” Tad Strange asked the red-haired lumberjack.  
  
“ _Bonjour!_ How is your wife?” A creepy old lady asked Mr. Gleeful.  
  
“ _Attrape les! Attrape les!_ ” Tyler cheered Manly Dan on as he lifted some heavy logs.  
  
“There, Dipper!” Mabel said, tugging on his vest, and the kids ran for the little library in the midst of the chaos.  
  
The library was only one room with only one wall filled with books. With Dipper being an advanced reader and Mabel as an advent storyteller, the two made their evenings entertaining with stories taking them far away.  
  
“Good morning!” The curly-haired man said behind the counter with his wife by his side.  
  
“Happy day!”  
  
“ _Bonjour, Madame et Monsieur Valentino_.” Dipper greeted politely.  
  
Mabel rushed to one book and held it out to her twin brother. “Let’s borrow this one!”  
  
“We’ve read it three times already.” Dipper said with a roll of his eyes and a small smile. He pulled out the book they were returning from his vest and put it back on the shelf.  
  
“But it’s my favorite!” Mabel climbed up the ladder and pretended to sword fight an enemy. “New places! Daring fight! Spells and magic! Great character development!”  
  
Dipper chuckled and hushed Mabel, taking the book. “Okay, okay. We’ll read it again, but then I want to pick up _Hamlet_ again.”  
  
“Deal!” Mabel cheered and hopped down.  
  
While Mabel was at the counter with Mr. and Mrs. Valentino, Dipper was elbowed harsly by a black-haired teenager with bad acne. “What are you doing back here, chief?”  
  
Dipper glared at him. “What does it look like I’m doing, actually using my brain.”  
  
“Oh yeah,” Robbie snarled and leaned down, his big nose almost touching the boy. “How’s that going for you, twerp?”  
  
“Dipper, c’mon!” Mabel called, the laundry basket in her arms by the door. “Let’s go!”  
  
“Coming!” Dipper ran after her, but he tripped over Robbie’s foot and fell on his face, but he quickly got up and followed his sister.  
  
The kids raced around with their pet pig, Waddles, at their heels, and laughed at each other’s company. They made their way to the Washing Well and began to do the laundry. Beforehand, they had invented a new way of doing laundry; once again, Dipper and Mabel made the perfect team, with the girl’s imagination and the boy’s intelligence harmoniously coexisting to create new inventions and ideas.  
  
Borrowing some rope and having Waddles help them, they used gears from Dipper’s vest to hook up the pig to the barrel with rope and they used gears so the barrel would turn with the special sticks inside, mixing the soap with the clothes and saving energy and work. Mabel used oats to make a circle around the well for waddles to follow, and then the twins watched proudly as their washing machine seemed to be working.  
  
“We did it!” Mabel cheered and high-fived her twin brother.  
  
Dipper then punched her shoulder lightly and said, “I told you it would work! Maybe next time we should borrow Gompers, though. Waddles is kind of slow.”  
  
“What?” Mabel dragged and laughed. “No way, Waddles is perfect! You’ll see, those clothes will be cleaner than the Northwests!”  
  
Dipper smiled as he opened the book and laid it on the stone wall, using it as a desk as he and his sister watched the washing. “Okay, okay, we should keep working on your reading. You’re getting better. Why not try to read the introduction?”  
  
Mabel smiled, a little shy when it comes to being a better reader, but she loved stories and she wanted to prove that she was smart, too, so she nodded and began to read out-loud. She hoped her fond memory of the book would make it easier, guessing the words, but that proved to be false. Still, Dipper and patient and a good teacher and slowly Mabel finished the first chapter all on her own.  
  
“That was great!” Dipper congratulated and Mabel’s cheeks turned rosy.  
  
“What are you two doing?”  
  
The twins looked ahead to find Blubs and Durland staring at them, looking both shocked and unapproving. Mabel’s cheeks turned a darker red, but she tried to smile and be friendly. “ _Bonjour, mes capitaines!_ ” Mabel greeted warmly. “Having a good day?”  
  
“We were, until we saw the commotion you two are up to.” Blubs said. “What’s a girl doing reading? And what on Earth is all this? Another invention?”  
  
Mabel grinned, choosing to ignore his first comment. “Yeah! Isn’t it great? Think of all the work this’ll get done!”  
  
“Mabel,” Dipper whispered warningly.  
  
“You’re usin’ up the whole well!” Durland scolded. “And no pigs inside the well!”  
  
“That’s not a rule.”  
  
“You questioning our authority, boy?” Blubs growled.  
  
“I’m questioning your objectivity.”  
  
“I dunno what that means, but I don’t like it.” Durland sneered and the two policemen pulled the barrel out of the well and bumped the soapy laundry on the dirt. “You two take your freaky readin’ somewhere else!”  
  
Dipper and Mabel hurried to pick up their clothes. Waddles waddled to them and rubbed his head on Dipper, who hugged him for comfort before continuing to clean up the mess.  
  
The twins turned for home and simultaneously groaned; hurrying to them with white hair and pale skin was the ten-year-old, Gideon Gleeful. He grinned at the sight of them and hopped on over in his baby-blue junior army uniform. He bowed a little and said, “Why, Mabel! You look absolutely radiant today!”  
  
“Thanks.” She mumbled.  
  
“Here, lemme help y’all.” Gideon said and picked up some stray laundry. “I think your invention was really neat.”  
  
Dipper raised an eyebrow at him. “You do?”  
  
“Oh, sure!” Gideon said. “Laundry’s sucha pain, but y’all made it bearable! Great job!”  
  
“Gee thanks, Gideon.” Mabel said sincerely with a smile and took the laundry from his arms.  
  
“You know,” Gideon said slyly and wiggled his eyebrows at her. “If you wanna read to me or show me some more inventions, I’m not busy tonight.”  
  
Mabel’s smile went away, suddenly very uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, not tonight.”  
  
“Oh. Already got plans?”  
  
“No.”  
  
Dipper grabbed her hand. “Come on, let’s go back home. Fiddleford will need our help soon.”  
  
Gideon and the policemen watched them go away. A big muscular man with no pupils emerged from a shop and said, “I’m sorry that girl isn’t into you, Lil’ Gideon.”  
  
“She loves me!” Gideon insisted. “She just doesn’t know it yet.”  
  
“What makes you wanna date the Pines girl, anyway?” Blubs asked.  
  
“She’s the prettiest!” Gideon explained. “And the nicest! That makes her the best! If I’m gonna be the best I need the best as my queen!”  
  
“Yeah,” Durland said. “But she and her brother are nothing like the rest of us.”  
  
Gideon didn’t care, and hurried to catch up to his friends. Or at least former-friends. He shoved his way past busy peasants and called out to the twins. Dipper kept on muttering “ _Ignorer, ignorer, ignorer!_ ” to himself and his sister. Ever since Gideon’s little crush got out of hand and he joined the military, he had been pestering Mabel to be with him and Dipper to join the army. What used to be annoying was now toxic and they were taught not to meddle with that.  
  
Mabel, Dipper, and Waddles made it into their house just before Gideon could catch up, leaving him to switch his eye and say to himself, “Sure… kiss those other frogs, Mabel Pines… this prince can wait…”  
  
The twins sighed with relief inside their childhood home. Dipper locked the door and Mabel hugged Waddles. They were both still as they heard music and they smiled and followed it. In the main room, what was supposed to be a living room but was mostly a study and work room, an old man with a long beard and nose sat at a desk, working on a music box. The machine was small and plain on the outside, but on the inside it was many beautiful colors and had pretty iron gears.  
  
Fiddleford glanced up from his work and smiled at the children. “Y’all back. How was it in town today?”  
  
“It was okay.” Mabel said and sat next to him.  
  
“Mabel sweetie, will ya hand me… thank ya.” Fiddleford chuckled as Mabel had the piece in her hand already, smart enough to know just what he needed. “What made it only okay?”  
  
“Gideon.” Dipper said and sat on Fiddleford’s other side.  
  
“Oh. My boy, will ya hand me… no, no, not… actually…” Fiddleford smiled with pride for the boy to have known of the correct piece before he did. Both of the children were bright in their own right, as he always said. “Well, m’sorry that boy won’t quit botherin’ y’all. Shall I talk with his parents?”  
  
Mabel sighed and rested her cheek on her fist. “Nah, I just wish things could go back to the way they were before. You know, friends.”  
  
Dipper was off in his own little world. Mabel might have been oblivious to it all, but Dipper was not. Between all the polite greetings, the people had hissed rumors and comments about the Pines twins. Poor orphaned children who were stuck with their grandfather’s best friend ever since the plague. Maybe if they only had proper parents to raise them they would be so odd, like a boy with no interest in fighting and a girl who loves to read. Mabel was always told she wasn’t smart enough to read and Dipper was always told he wasn’t strong enough and should fix it. It became suffocating at times.  
  
“Fiddleford,” He said out of the blue. “Are we odd?”  
  
Fiddleford blinked rapidly and readjusted his glasses. “Odd? My kids? Odd? Never. What got that into your head?”  
  
Dipper shrugged. “People talk.”  
  
Mabel sighed, sorry for her brother. “It’s all my fault.”  
  
“What?” The boys gasped.  
  
“If only I wasn’t so… different.” Mabel picked up a bigger music box Fiddleford had built but had not yet decorated. She saw her reflection, the reflection of a girl with fat cheeks and not-perfect teeth, someone every other boy but creeps had rejected.  
  
“Ya ain’t different.” Fiddleford said firmly. “You’re special. Wanna know why?”  
  
“Cuz we’re made of stars?” Mabel guessed, eyeing her twin.  
  
Dipper smiled and took off his hat and pushed his hair back, showing off his birthmark. Fiddleford told them ever since they were little that they were made out of the same stuff as stars, both full of light and goodness. The old man smiled and gently combed Dipper’s brown hair. “That’s right, Sweet Tea. Ya remember me tellin’ ya that I was there when y’all were born?”  
  
The children nodded. “You said Grandpa Shermie woke you up in the middle of the night, but you didn’t care.” Dipper said. “You wanted to see us.”  
  
“I was born first and punched the doctor in the jaw!” Mabel declared victoriously.  
  
“That’s right, sweetie, ya were.” Fiddleford laughed and went on with his story. “Ya were so new but your eyes already shined so bright. Dipper came next, but his skin was blue n’ he was sick. Thank the Lord we knew he’d be okay soon, n’ your grandpa saw your birthmark n’ grinned n’ said, ‘Hah! That’s my weirdos! Nothing can take ‘em down!’”  
  
Dipper and Mabel smiled over fond memories of their grandfather. Their parents had died when they were babies and that was when Fiddleford moved in permanently to help take care of the kids. Grandpa Shermie died four years ago, and it still hurt a little, but now they could all remember him with smiles on their faces.  
  
“It’s a good thang y’all are weird. Ain’t nothin’ better than bein’ different.” Fiddleford assured them. “I know it’s been hard - small town leads to small minds, ya know - but hurtin’ makes ya kind n’ strong, n’ there’s no doubt in my mind that y’all are gonna do big thangs one day n’ make ‘em all feel like fools.”  
  
Dipper and Mabel smiled, but their eyes seemed unsure. Fiddleford closed the little music box and pushed his chair back. “I think that’s enough work for now.” He leaned back and grabbed the banjo that was leaning against the wall. “What should we sing first?”  
  
Mabel grinned; growing up, their lives had been full of music. Fiddleford sang to them since they were babies and taught them how to dance and sing. Dipper smiled and let Mabel and Fiddleford create good background music while he read the book from the library.  
  
“Take a little journey,  
Let’s go to the unknown.  
Let’s come back changed,  
We’ll feel it in our bones.  
It may be scary,  
It may be hard,  
But I’ll go as long as I have you.”


	2. Into the Woods

Fiddleford finished his cup of sweet tea and smiled proudly at his… his friend’s kids. Oh, what the heck. They were as good as his kids. He smiled proudly at his kids as they worked together to help prepare for their journey. Normally, when Fiddleford had to go to Paris to sell his music boxes and clocks, he had Lazy Susan stay with them for a weekend, but the children had begged for a chance to see Paris, a chance to be grown-ups for a bit and help with the work, and Fiddleford decided that the twelve-year-olds could handle the travel and he was actually looking forward to having their company. Mabel was packing plenty of food and Dipper had just finished checking his pack to make sure he was set for the journey.  
  
When the time came, Fiddleford put on his old soldier's hat and said, “Alright, youngins, let’s hitch up Gompers.”  
  
Dipper and Mabel, grinning excitedly, helped pack up the wagon full of clocks and music boxes, all safely snug inside wooden boxes. Fiddleford hitched the goat, Gompers, to the wagon and fed him a carrot before hopping up and picking up the kids and letting them sit on either side of him, with the boy at his left hand and the girl at his right.  
  
“Everybody say ‘bye, house’.” Fiddleford chuckled.  
  
“Bye house!” Mabel cheered and waved the little shack away.  
  
Dipper wiggled his fingers with a shrug, playing along.  
  
“Onward, Gompers.” Fiddleford commanded gently and flicked the reins. Gompers pulled them forward and their journey began.  
  
Dipper and Mabel had never left the village before, so every tree and bush and squirrel and bird was exciting to them. They pulled out pieces of parchment and began to draw what they saw while Fiddleford drove. About mid-day, however, Mabel was surprised when a drop of water fell on her drawing of a blue bird. She looked up at the clouds to find dark ones pushing the white ones away. She sat up on her knees, having been on her stomach, and held a hand out, catching a raindrop.  
  
“Aw, donkey spittle.” Fiddleford swore.  
  
“It’s okay.” Mabel said optimistically, then she stuck out her tongue and caught a raindrop. “Look! Free water! Ahh!”  
  
Dipper pocketed the parchment in his vest and asked Fiddleford, “Should we stop and make shelter?”  
  
The old man toyed with his options and slowly said, “Naw, let’s press on n’ see if it’s only a drizzle.”  
  
Fiddleford squinted through the soft autumn rain. Now it was no longer cool but chilly. Fiddleford rubbed his hands together as the rain came down. Mabel curled up against his side to help him get warm and Dipper did the same. Fiddleford smiled; what on God’s green Earth did he do to deserve these kids? A flash of lightning and a roll of thunder disturbed his thoughts. He pressed forward and began to hum a tune.  
  
Mabel smiled and sang when she recognized the song. “Come along with me, with the butterflies and bees. We can wander through these woods free, and do so when we please.” She stopped and called, “C’mon, Dip-Dip!”  
  
“I don’t sing.” He insisted.  
  
“Don’t be a party-pooper! Sing! Sing! Sing!” She chanted.  
  
Dipper rolled his eyes and sang off-key, “Come along with me, to a bank under a tree, We can gaze upon the water with our everlasting dreams.”  
  
Fiddleford jumped in and together the three sang through the rain. “All of my dear dreams, I'll share them all with you. Maybe by next summer…”  
  
“Dipper will be in tune!” Mabel sang loudly.  
  
“HEY!”  
  
Fiddleford laughed and led on the song, everyone in harmony. “Come along with me, where we’ll be a family. And we’ll always be together, together and merrily.”  
  
A low growl disturbed them. Fiddleford stopped, pulling on the reins and making Gompers halt. Their senses heightened like frightened animals. Mabel clung to Fiddleford’s arm and Dipper stood in the wagon to get a better look around them. Maybe it was the rain or a fallen branch. The old man resumed their journey in a hurry, now having Gompers pick up speed. “C’mon, Gompers, let’s get where we’re goin.”  
  
“Fidds, was that a…”  
  
“I dunno, sweetie.” Fiddleford said. “Let's not jump to any conclusions.”  
  
He looked to his left and right to see flashes of a dangerous animal. He broke Gompers into a run.  
  
The wolves were planning to surround the wagon. Dipper fell into the back of the wagon and crawled to be behind Mabel, holding her shoulders to protect her. Fiddleford’s heart was hammering so hard it ached in his chest, but he tried to stay calm for the children. Some wolves were directly behind them and snapped their teeth at the wagon. Dipper yelled with fear and Fiddleford pushed Gompers to go as fast as he could, but one little goat could only do so much.  
  
A sudden drop in the ground caused the wagon to fall and scatter the little family. Dipper held on tightly to his sister as they yelled and tumbled in the woods, rolling down a hill of some sort. He ignored the scratches he was getting and focused on keeping Mabel safe. Finally, they fell still and staggeringly got up, holding their spinning heads and groaning.  
  
“Ugh, Mabel, you okay?”  
  
“Yeah, I’m… Fiddleford? Fiddleford!” Mabel called out. The kids looked around to find themselves alone in the cold rain, sticks and wet leaves in their hair and on their skin. Mabel looked at her brother and gasped. “Dipper! You’re hurt!”  
  
Dipper looked down at his exposed arms and found them to be covered in scratches from sticks and rocks. His limbs burned in pain, but Dipper did his best to ignore it. “Forget it, I’m fine.”  
  
Mabel gently took his hands and kissed each arm gently to try to help with the pain. “Don’t worry, Fiddleford has that smart hurt-kit, remember? We just have to find him and everything will be okay.”  
  
The growling came again. The twins held each other protectively, keeping an eye out. Yellow eyes caught their attention and a long howl rang through. They broke into a run in the opposite direction and prayed that they wouldn’t become dinner.  
  
Mabel was slightly ahead and tried to find somewhere to run to. Her eyes caught sight of a stone wall when lightning struck and she led the way to it. The brave girl threw the gate open and let her brother through before slamming it shut. The kids were inches away from sharp teeth and glowing yellow eyes. They backed away from the gate and turned to the building protected by the walls as the wolves gave up and left.  
  
A massive manor, a glorious castle stood before the children. With statues of devils and angels sprinkled through the land and dead-looking plants everywhere, the castle had a haunting look to it. Dipper was hesitant, but Mabel took his hand and walked them to the huge doors decorated with rusted gold. The girl knocked and almost at once, it opened. They entered and looked for whomever had let them in, but they were both surprised to be alone.  
  
“Hello? Anyone?” Dipper called, rubbing his soaked, hurt arms gently to try to get warm. The castle, though old and dusty and dark, didn’t feel quite abandoned. Lamps were lit. Perhaps only one person lived in this humongous home.  
  
“Why…?”  
  
“They need help.”  
  
“Shh!”  
  
The kids looked around. They saw the main stairwell before him and the two rooms on either side of him, but no humans were to be found. “Is someone there?” Mabel called timidly, pulling on her wet hair to try to get it dry. “I’m sorry, but please. My brother’s hurt and we’re lost. Can you help us?”  
  
“Wendy, please…”  
  
“SHH!”  
  
Dipper and Mabel decided the voices were coming from the left room, and so they entered. They smiled to find a large fireplace and comfy chairs and couches, no doubt for hosting, and hurried to the fire to dry from the rain. Mabel saw something under the couch and got on her knees. She grinned and pulled it out. “Look, Dipper! Bandages! Sit down, I’ll fix you up.”  
  
“Thanks, Mabel.” And Dipper sat on his knees in front of the fire.  
  
Mabel took one of his hands and used a piece of cloth and the rain water to wipe his arm clean before wrapping it up. Faint whispers could be heard from outside the room, sending goosebumps to the children’s skins.  
  
“Mabel, I don’t think this place is safe.” Dipper hissed.  
  
“Where else can we go?” Mabel asked. “We can’t stay long, anyway, we need to find Fiddleford.” A shiver ran down her spine and she looked up at her brother with wide brown eyes. “Dipper, he’s okay, isn’t he?”  
  
The truth was that he didn’t know for sure. Dipper didn’t think it was likely, but he wasn’t going to tell his sister that. He tried to be more like Mabel, more optimistic and quick to look at the bright side, so he said, “The wagon’s probably a goner and Fiddleford’s still out there. Still, he’s super smart and traveled in the woods before, remember? He probably climbed a tree and when the wolves are gone he’ll look for us. Or maybe somehow the wagon survived and he got away with Gompers.”  
  
“Yeah!” Mabel agreed and moved onto the next arm.  
  
A low growl froze them both. They looked to the creaked open door they came through, scared beyond measure. Did a wolf somehow get into the castle? Or something worse than a wolf? Dipper stood in front of his sister and held his arms out on either side of him to shield Mabel. She stood and peered ahead. The growling got louder and closer. A claw then touched the side of the door and pushed it open.  
  
The kids stared with round, trembling brown eyes. It was a terrifying beast, with fangs and horns and claws. Gray fur covered it’s face and big ears. The beast was huge, much bigger than the two children, possibly ten feet tall and very strong. It wore a torn white shirt, dark pants, and a red cloak clipped with gold by it’s beefy neck. The eyes were brown, matching the horns, and narrowed at the guests coldly.  
  
Dipper scowled, choosing to push his fear aside to focus on protecting Mabel. He tried to be brave and stand strong, like a man. Mabel, on the other hand, smiled timidly. She loved animals and immediately saw his brown eyes and thought that his beast was good; Fiddleford said that she was insightful. Mabel stepped out from behind her brother, despite his frightened look that told her not to do so, and she waved and said cheerfully, “Hi! I’m Mabel! This is Dipper! I’m twelve and own a pig! What’s your favorite color? Do you have a sweet tooth?”  
  
“Mabel,” Dipper hissed warningly.  
  
The beast peered down at the children and growled, “What are you two gremlins doing here?”  
  
“Oh, right, I'm sorry. See, we got lost in the rain and separated from our friend. We’re lost and my brother got hurt and we didn’t wanna be eaten by wolves, so we came here. Thanks for letting us in earlier! Why didn’t you say hello before? Do you like sweet or sour things? Do you have a favorite song?”  
  
“Enough!” The beast snarled and shook his head; the girl had asked all this in rapid speed. “Geez, kid, you ever slow down?”  
  
Mabel grinned proudly. “Nope!”  
  
The beast crossed his arms over his chest. He seemed to be doing some quick thinking, deciding if the children were worth keeping in his castle. “You said you lost your friend?”  
  
Mabel nodded. “He’s been taking care of us.”  
  
There was a short pause. “Hey, runt, your arms still hurt?”  
  
Dipper braced himself and continued to stand strong. “I’m fine.”  
  
The beast snorted. Mabel took her brother’s hand and smiled kindly at the master of the castle. He approached them and Dipper gripped his sister’s hand, ready to be thrown out, but the beast sat in an armchair and grunted, “Listen, you knuckleheads. If you’re gonna stay here, you’re gonna have to work for me.”  
  
Dipper was even more surprised now than when he first saw the creature. “Stay…”  
  
“You can’t go out there by yourselves.” The beast said dryly. “You’ll get eaten alive. You’ll just have to stay until your friend finds you, but until then you’re gonna have to work for me. Unless you can pay up.”  
  
“We don’t have any money.” Mabel informed.  
  
“Then you’ll have to do some chores around here.” The beast jabbed a thumb to the door and said, “Go upstairs and ask for Soos. He’s the groundskeeper and handyman and he’ll give you a room.”  
  
“A room?” Mabel repeated. “In a castle?”  
  
“And don’t expect…”  
  
“THANK YOU!” Mabel cheered and punched the air joyfully. “Thank you very much! You’re so nice!”  
  
The beast only growled and pointed to the door. “Just go! And don’t break anything!”  
  
Dipper pulled her sister towards the door. Get thrown out into the woods to be eaten by wolves or work for a beast? As much as Dipper hated it, he had to do what he was told. Mabel, however, was excited, confident that Fiddleford would find them soon and that she could make a new friend out of this unluckiness. She stopped them at the doorway and said, “Wait! You never told us your name.”  
  
The beast did not look back at the children, facing the fire. But a low voice rumbled through the air. “Just call me Stan, kids.”  
  
Mabel smiled. “Okay, Monsieur Stan. Thanks again for letting us stay.” And the children were gone.  
  
Stan watched the fire dance on the logs, lost in thought. So lost he nearly missed the fact that his top maid and woodsman had entered the lounge, hopping towards the pile of logs by the fire. She stabbed one and tossed it onto the fire. “Stan?” The axe spoke.  
  
“Beat it, Wendy.”  
  
“Fine.” The axe snapped and hopped towards the door, but she did not miss the order the boss had for her.  
  
“Keep an eye on those two.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this world, Mabel invented sweet tea and Fiddleford LOVES it. It’s her Mabel Juice.
> 
> Also, yes yes, this is different than the original storyline, bear with me for a sec. I ALMOST went with Fiddleford going alone, getting lost, and being imprisoned in the castle; it’s perfectly lined with Stan’s character to lock someone away that trespasses (still can’t believe we all just glossed over what he did in Little Gift Shop of Horrors). BUT, this story I feel better parallels the GF canon story.
> 
> Hear me out, Dipper and Mabel are sent to live with their Grunkle Stan for a summer for some “fresh air”; we don’t know exactly the nature of their relationship before the show, but considering how little the kids knew about him and how Dipper talks about him in the first episode, I suspect they had little to nothing to do with Stan before that summer. So, by having the kids lost and find the castle, BOTH stories tell of two kids getting to know a grumpy old man, AND the kids are safe; in neither situation, the kids were only forced to stay where they were for their safety. That’s my personal reason for having the story go this way, and if this bothers you, I apologize halfheartedly.
> 
> Moving on, some fun Disney references is when Dipper and Mabel say goodbye to the house, that’s a nod to Toy Story and when Andy and his mom say goodbye to the house they’re moving out of. Dipper’s refusal to sing, while realistic and in-character, is a reference to Flynn Rider. The title of this chapter is referencing the movie Into The Woods. And finally, this isn’t a Disney reference, but the song Fiddleford and the kids sing is a clear homage to Adventure Time’s Come Along With Me. Can’t give a good reason why except it gives a lot of good foreshadowing.


	3. Be Our Guest

“Hello? Monsieur Soos? Monsieur Stan told us to find you.” Mabel called out nicely on the stairs.  
  
Dipper watched as his sister optimistically roamed the stairs for the keeper of the key and grounds of the castle. There were so many times he wished he was more like her. Mabel was super strong and kind and just outright amazing; no matter what the world threw at her, she was happy and cheerful. Through losing their parents and then their Grandpa Shermie, through being lost in the woods and nearly eaten, through meeting a beast, Mabel was still joyful and out-going. Dipper wished he could be more like that, but sometimes it felt like a dark cloud forever hung over his head; he was the realistic twin, the Debby-downer of the two; someone had to be, and he never wanted it to be Mabel.  
  
“Maybe we misheard him.” Mabel pondered when no one was responding to her calls. “Did Monsieur Stan say Soos or Zeus?”  
  
Dipper shrugged. “Or maybe we were sent on a wild goose chase.”  
  
“Eck! A goose?!” Mabel gasped with sparkling eyes.  
  
“Sup, dawgs!” A voice called from the top of the second flight of stairs. “I’m Soos! Sorry, just wanted to make sure your room was clean. So dusty… anyways, welcome!”  
  
Dipper and Mabel peered to where the voice was coming from and saw a hammer standing up on it’s handle. It was smiling with long buck teeth and kind eyes. Split from the handle, like big splinters, were the arms, but it had no legs. Mabel smiled while Dipper just stared.  
  
“Hi! I’m Mabel! So you’re Soos?”  
  
“Sure am!” The hammer gestured to follow him. “C’mon, dudes, I’ll show you to your room.”  
  
Mabel followed with Dipper right behind her. Past expensive, dusty objects and paintings, the hammer led them to another set of double-doors. The hammer pushed them open and the kids awed at the living quarters. Beautiful twin-sized bunk beds stood proudly with the finest silks and pillows stuffed with feathers. A giant window with a balcony displayed the calm fall rain and a huge chest filled with toys and a wardrobe occupied the room, but the space was so vast that it somehow felt empty. The walls were painted gold with knights and kings and glorious battles telling stories on the ceiling.  
  
Mabel squealed with delight and ran to the bottom bed and plopped down. “Wowie, zowie! Is this all ours?”  
  
“Sure is, dude.” Soos said. “The boss wanted you kids to be safe and comfortable.”  
  
“You mean that big scary beast downstairs?” Dipper asked.  
  
“That’s the one!”  
  
Dipper couldn’t keep his smile at bay any longer. “I have always wanted bunk beds.”  
  
“I think he’s nice.” Mabel said from the bottom bunk.  
  
“Oh, the dude’s a nice guy.” Soos insisted. “Once you get to know him. He saved me and Abuelita from the streets a long time ago, gave us jobs and a home.”  
  
A cart came in, carrying a beautiful china pot that smiled at the guests. “Welcome!” She said with an Asian accent. “My name is Candy. So good to have company with us. Dinner will be ready shortly. Oh, no! You two look cold. Grenda! Grenda, wake up!” She barked.  
  
The wardrobe burst open and the eyes on top of the piece of furniture popped open. “I’m up, I’m up! SWEET LORD! Finally, new muses! You two need some new clothes!” Grenda opened her drawers, but moths flew out and she closed up immediately. “Oops. That’s… that happens sometimes.” Grenda opened her drawers again and whistled. “Okay, ladies, let's get to work, up, up, up!”  
  
Sewing needles, measuring tape, and thread sprang up from a drawer and began to work, pulling rolls of cloth out from the other drawers and sewing around the twins as they stood still. Mabel giggled and lightly touched the needles in greeting, treating them like butterflies, while Dipper stood rigid and still, afraid of being hurt.  
  
“Aw, don’t be so tense, boy.” Grenda giggled. “You like blue?”  
  
Dipper took in a deep breath, trying to relax, and he smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I like blue.”  
  
Soon the kids were changed into nicer clothes; not formal, but not made from itchy material and much more comfortable than their soak garments. Mabel twirled in her pink petticoat and jacket with golden buttons and she grinned at her brother, who wore a navy-blue jacket over an orange top. He kept his blue cap on proudly and he seemed comfortable.  
  
“Tuck your shirt in, scruffy.” The mirror on the wall spoke, spooking the kids.  
  
“Be nice, Pacifica.” Candy warned.  
  
Dipper had a million questions. He looked at Soos the hammer, Candy the teapot, Pacifica the mirror, and Grenda the wardrobe, and said quietly, “This is impossible. Objects can’t talk or move on their own.”  
  
Grenda shrugged, her golden arms free from being folded on top of a drawer. “Well, here we are.”  
  
“Abuelita used to say the world’s more full of magic than we know, dudes.” Soos said.  
  
“You’re magic?!” Mabel gasped happily, squishing her cheeks with her hands as her eyes shined like stars.  
  
“Duh,” Pacifica said as a reflection of her human form shined on the mirror, a pretty girl with long blonde hair. “This castle’s full of weird secrets and magic and mystery and whatever.”  
  
“We LOVE mystery, don’t we, Dipper?” Mabel asked, gripping his hand. “This guy is really good at solving them! He figured out who was stealing Manly Dan’s jerky.”  
  
“Everyone wanted to blame it on the kids, but no one with a shoe size of five could have made such a deep footprint in the mud unless they were heavier than an adolescent.” Dipper explained and shrugged with a sheepish smile. “And Mabel’s really smart, too. She discovered who was eating all our garbage and leaving smelly trails.”  
  
“All signs pointed to the goat.” Mabel said, puffing her chest out proudly.  
  
“Then you’ll fit right in, dudes!” Soos exclaimed excitedly.  
  
A harsh cough came from the door and an axe hopped in, with a beautiful girl carved into the handle. She dipped the heavy head of the axe and said, “Dinner’s ready.”  
  
The kids thanked the axe, at this point used to inanimate objects suddenly being animate, and left for the dining hall. Wendy gave Soos, Candy, Grenda, and Pacifica death glares and followed them out. Pacifica scoffed and her reflection faded away. Soos felt his face turn warm as he hopped on the cart and caught a ride with Candy; Grenda fell back asleep.  
  
Mabel and Dipper followed the axe into the dining hall and admired the scene before them. A huge table that could fit thirty stood polish with mahogany, filled with bread water, the best china and dishes the kids had ever dreamed of, and silverware made out of real silver. The axe hopped in front of them and said, “Alright, guys, my name’s Wendy. Basically I’m in charge when the boss isn’t here, and since he’s not here, I’m in charge right now. Follow me?”  
  
The kids nodded; Dipper really didn’t want to argue with an axe, in case if turned into an axe-murderer. They sat next to each other at the right hand of the head of the table, where the host would normally sit. Mabel laid her napkin on her lap and Dipper waited for something to happen. Just as Mabel opened her mouth to talk to Wendy, the axe hopped away and Candy the teapot hopped at the center of the table, a surprise spotlight on her.  
  
“Lady and gentleman! It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you here tonight! Now, we invite you to relax and get comfortable, as the dining room proudly presents: your dinner.” And magical dishes and trays filled with food hopped out from the kitchen and onto the table.  
  
Mabel leaned forward, elbows on the table and chin resting on her knuckles, while Dipper smiled unsure of what to make of this, but enjoying it nonetheless.  
  
“Be our guest…”  


* * *

  
Stan paced on all fours back and forth, his mind racing. He occasionally spoke, trying to think better by thinking out loud, but there was just so much to tackle at once. Stan stood on his back legs and his eyes rested on the journal. Decorated with a golden six-fingered hand, the journal was safe inside a glass case, never allowed to be touched. Still, it was so tempting, but too risky. That book was fragile and Stan was dangerous.  
  
The beast growled in his throat and resumed his pacing. What was he thinking, letting those kids stay here, allowing Soos to open the door, even meeting the kids. He should have stayed hidden and let them leave. But he couldn’t just let those kids go out into the woods and die; not even a monster like himself would do that. But Stan needed confirmation that he had made the right choice. Once again his gaze fell on the journal. He ceased his pacing again and stared at the journal. He sighed through his nose and approached it. He slowly, carefully, sat on the floor before the small table that occupied the book, staring at it, lost in thoughts and memories.  
  
A few minutes later, Stan found his claw on the glass cover, yearning to touch the journal, but he dared not to. Not yet. Not right now. It was too risky. A page fell out a few days ago. But then his cruel mind made him remember his brother’s pleading words.  
  
 _Stanley, I’m fine.  
  
You know I’m still here, right? I’m not just some book you can place on a shelf and walk away.  
  
Stanley, I can’t breathe in here. It’s maddening.  
  
I am not afraid of you._  
  
Stan tenderly lifted the glass case from over the journal and placed it on the ground. His gentle paws, the beast picked up the book and opened it. He smiled tiredly at a blank page. “Hey, Sixer.”  
  
 _Hello, Stanley._  
  
A knock came at the door, the one at the entrance of the West Wing; Stan’s advanced hearing could pick it up. He quickly shut the journal, put it on the table, and protected it with the glass cover. “What?” He called when he went to the door, but he didn’t open it.  
  
“Hi, Monsieur Stan!” A girl’s voice called. What did she say her name was? Maple? “Are you gonna come down to dinner? Madame Wendy said you didn’t want to. Are you okay? Does your tummy hurt?”  
  
Stan raised an eyebrow at the door.  
  
“Mabel, leave him alone.” The boy said. “He’ll come when he wants to.”  
  
“But Dipper, he should eat.”  
  
Stan had thought of hunting for a deer after the little pains in his side went to bed so he wouldn’t scare them or bother them when they were trying to recover and eat. He was surprised and apprehensive when they seemed to not only expect but desire his attendance. “You want to eat dinner with freak-show over here?” He asked suspiciously, not believing it.  
  
“Sure! Why not?” The girl called. Her name was Mabel, Stan recalled.  
  
“I don’t think you want that.” He warned.  
  
“What?! I totally want that! It’ll be fun, now come on! There’s delicious gray stuff!” She added, hoping it would tempt her host to join them for dinner.  
  
Stan snorted. He opened the door and looked down at the tiny humans. One could stand on the other’s shoulders and they wouldn’t reach his height. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”  
  
“Yay!” Mabel punched the air and laughed at Dipper’s face. “Hah! I win, sucka!”  
  
Dipper punched her shoulder and they started back to the dining hall. Stan followed them, giving them plenty of space. When they sat to eat, Mabel and Dipper chatted among themselves about how they loved the musical performance the servants had given. Mabel was careful to thank every single object individually, while Dipper settled for thanking them as a combined team. Stan smiled teasingly at the foolish kids, gushing over a stupid show.  
  
“Monsieur Stan, are you sure you’re not sick?” Mabel asked gently over her goblet of water.  
  
Stan gave her a skeptical look, expecting a jab at his monstrous appearance. “I’m fine, kid.” He growled.  
  
Mabel blinked, unsure as to why he was so stoic and strict. “Really? You’re not eating. Do you not like it?”  
  
Dipper also noticed it, privately predicting that the beast would tear into his meal, but he had not even touched his meat or picked up his drink.  
  
“Had a big lunch pretty late in the day.” Stan said, waving the question away. “Now quit pestering me about it!”  
  
“Oh. Okay. By the way, you never answered my questions.”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
“What’s your favorite color? Do you have a sweet tooth? Do you like sweet or sour things? Do you have a favorite song?” Mabel asked all in one breath, so quickly that it took the host a minute to gather his answers.  
  
“Oh. Um… red, yes, sweet, and no.”  
  
Mabel grinned, excited to elaborate on Stan’s answers, and she and Stan gradually had a conversation. It was an odd conversation, with Mabel doing most of the talking and the two knowing so little about the other and having next to nothing in common that it might have been tricky to talk pleasantly, but soon Stan found himself flapping up water with his scratchy tongue as he listened to the girl’s twenty-first story. Mabel smiled and covered her mouth with her hand at the sight, finding it endearing. Dipper would occasionally inject and join in, but mostly he observed. Stan hadn’t realized how quiet the castle had become until it was filled with noise.  
  
A grandfather clock out in the hall screamed, “NINE O’CLOCK!”, making Dipper jump and splash water on his face, and Mabel laughed at the little scare.  
  
“Right, time for bed, gremlins.” Stan said and pointed to the door. “You’ve got your work cut out for you in the morning. No more softening you up. I want you wide-eyed and bushy-tailed by sunrise.”  
  
“But, we don’t have tails.” Dipper sneered with a smile.  
  
“Not my problem, runt, now go before you get nightmares from looking at this face for too long.”  
  
Mabel didn’t like that last comment, but she decided to let it pass. “G’night, Monsieur Stan!” She said cheerfully and waved to him as she walked out of the dining hall with Dipper right beside her.  
  
When the door was closed behind them, Stan sighed with relief; he was starving. Acting on instinct alone, he tore into his food like an animal and spewed it all over his face and clothes. He later huffed in shame and humiliation, and with as much pride as he could muster, he left the table and ventured to bed.  
  
Meanwhile, Mabel slipped on her white nightgown and climbed up to the top bunk bed; Dipper had a habit of falling out of bed already, he didn’t need to be six feet up. She snuggled under the cozy covers and was pleasantly surprised to find warm pans between the blankets. “I like it here.” Mabel said sleepily, rubbing an eye. “It’s like we’re in a story of our own.”  
  
Dipper smiled up at the bottom of Mabel’s bed, his head resting on his folded arms. “Yeah… I guess so.”  
  
There was a long pause. Despite Mabel’s optimism and cheerful attitude, now that there was nothing to distract her, a sudden worry made a knot in her stomach. “Dipper? Do you really think Fiddleford is okay?”  
  
Dipper took too long to answer for her sister's comfort, but when he spoke she felt much better. “He’s fought in two wars, survived crazy invention-attacks, and raised you. He can handle anything.”  
  
Mabel giggled at the jab he made at her and said, “More like he survived raising _you_ , Dumb-Dumb.”  
  
Dipper chuckled, “Goodnight, Stupid.”  
  
“G’night, Stupid.”  
  
Dipper blew out the candle, but it would be a long time before Mabel finally closed her eyes and fell asleep.  
  


* * *

  
The rain had finally stopped, but the cold was even worse now. Even so, it could not he felt inside Gleeful’s Glee-Filled Tavern, where hard-working men and women were relaxing in the comfort of fires and warm beer. Gideon had just finished a musical number that left the policemen crying with happiness and the other girls cheering. His mother shakingly filled drinks and his father collected some money for the performance by the piano.  
  
Gideon sat on the instrument to be eye-level with Ghost Eyes. He sighed tiredly. “I don’t understand it, my hench-angel. Why won’t Mabel admit that she loves me?”  
  
“Maybe because she doesn’t?” Ghost Eyes suggested into his beer.  
  
“I bet it’s cuz she keeps herself so busy.” Gideon speculated. “Think about it, with only old Man McGucket taking care of things she and Dipper have to… wait. What if she’s afraid to love me?” The white-haired boy gasped.  
  
“Wait, what?”  
  
“It all makes sense now!” Gideon proclaimed. “She’s lost almost all of her family! For someone so young, she’s lost so much! What if she’s afraid to only gain something to lose?! What if she’s afraid one day I’ll be gone, too?!” Gideon stood up proudly on the piano, with his fists on his hips. “Well, I swear by all this is holy and unholy that that will never happen! I will always be there for her, no matter what!”  
  
“YEAH!” Ghost Eyes cheered and had the boy sit on his muscular shoulder.  
  
“We love you, Lil’ Gideon!” Durland yelled. “Sing more of those funny songs!”  
  
“You got it! Ahem, ahem… nooooo oooooone…”  
  
The doors burst open, letting in some cold air, as Old Man McGucket came running in. the townsfolk gasped at him. He was dirty and his hair was frazzled and his glasses were cracked, but worst of all his arm was bruised and cradled by his chest protectively, as if it was broken. This man had obviously been through something horrible, his eyes wide and his jaw tight. “HELP!” He cried out. “HELP ME, PLEASE!”  
  
“McGucket, what happened?” Blubs asked.  
  
“It’s the children!” Old Man McGucket yelled and scrambled around the tavern, informing all of the tragedy. “We were attacked by wolves out in the woods n’ separated! They’re out there somewhere, lost n’ cold n’ possibly hurt! Please! We have t’find ‘em!”  
  
The townsfolk muttered among themselves. It was dangerous in those woods, filled with wolves and horrible animals. They were unsure if the children were alive. What was the point of risking their lives for dead bodies, especially the dead bodies of the troublesome Pines twins.  
  
“Aren’t these the same kids that built that wretched sound box?”  
  
Old Man McGucket paled a shade. “Y-Yes, b-b-but they were only tryin’...”  
  
“And are always _reading_? What’s that boy doing, teaching a girl to read? It’s unnatural.”  
  
“It’s beautiful!” Old Man McGucket snapped. “Dipper’s only tryin’ t’help his sister…”  
  
“I thought his name was Mason…”  
  
“It’s Dipper!” Old Man McGucket’s energy was failing him as he appeared alone in the world. “I… I know they seem different, but… but, please. They’re still only children. _My_ children. Will no one help me find ‘em?”  
  
Gideon leaned towards Ghost Eyes’ ear and whispered excitedly, “This is perfect! Mabel needs my help; she’ll see how I’m willing to do anything for her and she’ll finally realize she loves me!” Gideon stood on Ghost Eyes’ shoulder and declared, “I’ll help!”  
  
Old Man McGucket turned and stared at the boy. “Ya will?”  
  
“Sure I will!” Gideon said and hopped off to walk on a long table. “Folks, I know we’ve had our fair share of whoopsie-daisies in the past, but Mabel and _Dipper_ are still part of our fair town. They need our help, so I say no one should rest until they’re safe at home!”  
  
“YEAH!” Manly Dan yelled and punched a whole in the stone wall.  
  
“Let’s find the Pines!” Blubs said and the whole town cheered for Lil’ Gideon.  
  
Old Man McGucket approached the boy shakingly and smiled. “Th-Thanks ya so much. Ya’ve always been a… a loyal friend t’em.”  
  
“Don’t thank me yet.” Gideon said with a smile. “Let’s just get my queen and future brother-in-law back.” And he went off to gather the volunteers.  
  
Fiddleford watched the boy leave and he winced. “Aw, banjo polish.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it seems like I’m a hater of BatB songs since only one is in here, two songs are not from BatB at all, and I teased two BatB songs in this chapter but never delivered, but I promise that more are on the way (or at least obscure gestures to the songs since this isn’t a musical).
> 
> I will share that I ALMOST opened the entire story with a Hercules-like intro, with Dipper and Mabel destroying the town with an invention and being rejected by the village, making the scene of Fiddleford trying to convince people to help look for them more compelling, but I backed away since I couldn’t think of a good destructive invention that could be built by two twelve-year-olds in the early 1800s. I’d love to hear some of your ideas, guys!
> 
> Pacifica is kinda a reference to the Magic Mirror from Snow White, and while Lazy Susan would’ve made a great Mrs. Potts, I decided to make Candy head of the kitchen and the tea pot and have Lazy Susan be a friend of Fiddleford and Shermie’s and give hand in raising Dipper and Mabel sometimes, one of the few people in town that actually liked them. I will warn you that this story does not focus much on the side characters, rather the development of the main characters.


	4. The West Wing

A loud bang scared the kids awake. Mabel pushed her messy brown hair out of her eyes and Dipper had to take a moment to remember where he was and why he was here. They looked at the door to find Stan the beast standing there with a scowl on his face. “OY! Rise and shine, runts! Hurry up and do your chores, and maybe I'll _think_ about giving you breakfast. Food tastes better after you work for it, anyway.”  
  
Mabel quickly tied her hair back with her pink handkerchief. “ _Oui, Monsieur Stan._ ” she said as she jumped down.  
  
Dipper frowned at the beast as he left the kids alone to get up; he suspected this kind of behavior, but it didn’t mean he liked it. The twins quickly got dressed and they found Wendy at the bottom of the stairs.  
  
“Good, you’re up.” She led the way through and said, “Before breakfast, you two need to dust and sweep the front door. After breakfast, you’ll move to the ballroom and clean the whole thing, even climb up to the chandeliers and get the cobwebs out. Cleaning that whole mess’ll take all day. You got it?”  
  
“Don’t you worry, Madame Wendy!” Mabel said as she grabbed a broom and handed a duster to her brother, both tools waiting for them by the exit. “Eyes on the prize!”  
  
Dipper and Mabel went outside and met chilly air with a bright sun. On the stony entrance, they warmed up like lizards on rocks and got to work, sweeping fallen leaves away and dusting the lamps so they shined brighter. Dipper paused his work at the handle of one lantern and awed. “Wow, Mabel, come look at this. The way the metal swirls… the colors… This place really is beautiful.”  
  
Mabel looked at what her brother was looking at and smiled. “You’re right, Dip-Dip. All this place needs is a little love.” And she swept a pile of leaves off onto the ground to further prove her point, showing a shiny, pretty entrance.  
  
Dipper looked up at the tall towers and the enormous castle. He remembered what Soos said yesterday and he speculated out-loud, “I wonder what kind of mysteries are in this place. I have so many questions. Like, how is this even possible? Who exactly is Stan? Did he just come across this place and made it his home? And what about the talking furniture and tools and stuff?”  
  
Mabel leaned against the broom. “Those are great questions. Maybe after chores we can explore!”  
  
“Maybe…”  
  
“BREAKFAST!” The grandfather clock by the door screamed.  
  
“Great!” Mabel cheered and hurried inside.  
  
Once again, when the kids saw that Stan was nowhere to be seen, Mabel led the way up to his room. Dipper was more hesitant, but he did agree with his twin that Stan should eat. Maybe he just wasn’t a breakfast person. At the first door on the stairwell, advised not to go farther by Soos last night, Mabel knocked cheerfully. “Monsieur Stan, breakfast’s ready! Wanna eat with us?”  
  
Dipper crossed his arms over his chest. It took a few moments for the doors to open but when they did Mabel was grinning. Stan shrugged casually. “Sure. I could use some more coffee.”  
  
After eggs with toast and hot tea for the kids and black coffee for the beast, Dipper and Mabel went off to clean the ballroom. They gasped at the vast room with the huge balcony and even Dipper had to admit he was looking forward to making this place sparkle and shine. The ceiling was at least forty feet high and the room was a beautiful circle with a thirty-feet long diameter. By the wall, on their left, stood a grand piano. Mabel dropped her bucket of cleaning supplies and rushed to the musical instrument and found, oddly enough, that it was the only thing not dusty. Someone must come in often to play it.  
  
“Dipper, look! A real piano to play! I haven’t seen one since our last playdate with Gideon.”  
  
“Me, neither.” Dipper joined his sister and silently ran his fingers over the keys.  
  
The piano opened her eyes by the music-sheet stand and giggled. “Oh! That tickles!”  
  
Dipper’s face turned red and he pulled away his hand with a yell of shock. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”  
  
“Hi, I’m Mabel!” The girl greeted. “This is Dipper!”  
  
“ _Bonjour_! I’m Melody! Want some music while you work?”  
  
“Yes, yes! Fiddleford says cleaning is fun with music. Here, do you know this song?” She pressed a key to find a note and began to sing before playing the piano. “Every task you undertake, becomes a piece of cake! A lark! A spree! It's very clear to see that…” The girl dragged on, and Melody the piano picked it up.  
  
“A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, the medicine go down-wown, medicine go down! Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down in a most delightful way!” Mabel picked up a duster and she and Dipper quickly got to work, the piano playing songs and singing beautifully, whether the kids sang along or not.  


* * *

  
Stan waited for some words to form on the page after spilling about everything. Bits and pieces were suddenly making sense, leaving the other half of the conversation shocked.  
  
_Stanley,_ It took a moment for more words to form after that. Stan could almost hear his brother’s desperate, low tone. _Have you considered the idea that these children may help us break the curse?_  
  
“I may be an idiot, Sixer, but I’m not stupid.” Stan growled.  
  
The journal was still once more for a few moments. _I know it is dangerous to hope, but they could help._  
  
Stan didn’t respond. He looked away. The journal waited for a response, but soon the beast slowly rose his head, his ears flicking with faint sound. “Hold up.” Stan stood from his armchair. “Is that… music?” Stan opened the door, now only one corridor blocking the sound, and he growled. “What are those kids up to now?”  
  
_Stanley,_  
  
Luckily the beast caught the sudden appearance of words out of the corner of his eye.  
  
_Let it play. I haven’t heard music in so long._  
  
Stan looked at that sentence sorrowfully, sighed, and sat back in his chair, letting the music barely seep into the West Wing.  


* * *

  
_He almost requested to be moved out of the West Wing and down to meet the children, but that was out of the question. He knew there was no way Stanley would let him leave the safety of this room.  
  
It was suffocating._  


* * *

  
Mabel and Dipper accepted the glasses of water from Candy in the afternoon, sweaty and dirty from the dust, but they were happy with their work. The room was just too big for two kids to get it all done in one day, but they got a lot done and though Dipper’s arms ached and Mabel was sneezing from the dust, they were proud.  
  
The door opened wider and the beast was there. He looked over the room and down at the kids. Dipper readied himself to be scolded for not getting it all done, but Stan snorted a smile. “That’s impressive, kids. Good job. Still got your work cut out for you, though.”  
  
Mabel saluted like they were in the army. “We’ll get it done, Monsieur Stan!”  
  
Stan waved her promise away nonchalantly. “Well, dinner’ll be ready by the time you two have a bath. You two need it.”  
  
Mabel sneezed and giggled, admitted that Stan was right, and he left them alone again.  
  
At dinner, Dipper decided to test his luck and ask a question. “Monsieur Stan, can we go find Fiddleford?”  
  
Stan raised an eyebrow. “That your friend?”  
  
“Yes.” Dipper nodded. “Please, what if he’s hurt or he can’t find us. I bet together we could find him.”  
  
“Yeah!” Mabel said encouragingly. “Please, please, please Monsieur Stan!”  
  
“No.” Stan said firmly and then spoke in a calmer tone. “It’s too dangerous out there. You kids were almost killed. You’re staying here.”  
  
“But what if Fiddleford is in danger?” Dipper asked; he didn’t want to bring up the possibility or worry Mabel, but he had to be realistic.  
  
Mabel’s smile dropped and she looked devastated at the idea.  
  
“I said no, kid.” Stan growled. “It’s best if you stay here and let this guy find you. Didn’t your parents ever teach you to do that when you get lost? You stay still and don’t move until someone finds you.”  
  
Mabel bit her lip and looked down at her plate. Dipper scowled at the beast for hurting his sister, even if unintentionally, and he muttered bitterly, “Our parents are dead.”  
  
Stan looked down at the children sympathetically and a compassionate sound rumbled in his chest, but was very quiet. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”  
  
“It’s okay.” Mabel said at once, picking up the regret in his voice. “We were only babies. That’s why Fiddleford takes care of us.”  
  
Stan gave it some thought. He watched as Dipper took one of Mabel’s hands and squeezed it. She smiled at him and held his hand even tighter. Stan smiled a little at that, reminded of another set of twins, and he said, “Well, I don’t know much about good parenting, but I’d bet this Fiddlebucket guy would want you safe in a castle instead of out looking for him in the woods. I’m sure he’ll find this place soon and take you home.”  
  
“ _Merci, Monsieur Stan_ ,” Mabel said, smiling at him. “For letting us stay here.”  
  
Stan stood and headed towards the exit. “Heck, I should be thanking you knuckleheads for being willing to stay with a monster and not cut off his head.”  
  
Mabel’s heart dropped. She opened her mouth to correct him, but the door was closed and he was gone.  
  
Two more days passed, each just the same as the last, except the beast and the children were becoming more comfortable with each other. Telling stories and jokes, getting to know each other more than just sad, lost children and a lonely, scary beast. Still, every night, Dipper and Mabel begged to look for Fiddleford, and every time they asked Stan got angrier. Dipper was bold enough to try his luck again, and when he did, Stan slammed his claws on the table so hard it broke several dishes and made the kids still as stone.  
  
“FINE!” He roared and he stood up. “Fine, here’s what’s gonna happen. I’m gonna go look for him and bring him here. You two, STAY HERE! DO NOT leave this castle! Understand?”  
  
Dipper just scowled at the beast. Mabel found it in here to nod. Stan left quickly, too angry to admit that he was losing his temper, but he managed to catch a tiny voice saying “ _merci_ ” before he was out of the room.  
  
Dipper gave his sister a look and shook his head. He wasn’t going to thank the beast until they were reunited with Fiddleford again.  
  
The twins settled in the living room, by the fire. Mabel was bored, antsy, and wanted to do something fun. She wished she had some knitting with her. The last few days they told stories with Stan or jokes or played games, but with him gone and the uncertainty of him coming back with Fiddleford hanging over their heads, the kids were silent for awhile.  
  
“Hey, Dipper? Wanna read a book? I bet Soos or Wendy could find us one.”  
  
“No thanks.”  
  
“How about we play music in the ballroom.”  
  
“I’m sick of the ballroom right now.” Dipper sat up straighter on the couch (before being slouched over with his chin on his fist) and he suggested, “Let’s go exploring. No one ever told us we couldn’t.”  
  
Mabel smiled and hopped down from the couch. “Okay!”  
  
The kids had already seen their bedroom, the washroom, the dining hall, the ballroom, and the living room. So where to explore next? They wandered up the stairs, looking at old paintings and decoration. They were heading towards the door they usually knocked on for Stan and decided to venture on, agreeing that if it looked like they were reaching his bedroom, they would stop and turn around.  
  
“This castle is like a dream.” Mabel said as she twirled on the spot.  
  
Dipper pulled the door open and gasped. “Or a nightmare.”  
  
Mabel looked at what her twin was looking at and gasped, too. A corridor, trashed and ruined, laid before them, the carpet ripped, scratches on the walls, furniture and paintings destroyed. The kids slowly entered, curiosity getting the better of them, and observed their surroundings carefully. Ahead, a set of double-doors stood, so they approached it and worked together to open the door, pulling hard and letting an eerie creak ring.  
  
They found a large room that was just as torn, if not worse, than the corridor. Drapes dangled, vases were shattered, dust covered every surface. Hesitantly, the twins entered, looking around. Mabel caught sight of a messy bed and held onto Dipper’s arm. She looked around and saw a huge portrait that caught her attention. Parts were in shreds, like the face of the father and the eldest child and the mother was hidden by a curtain, but two twin boys stood in their nicest clothes, smiling. One had his arm wrapped around the other’s neck, and the other brother had his hands behind his back. The painting seemed to be so real, like it had purpose, like it wasn’t just a nice decoration. Mabel was uncomfortable, feeling like she was invading. “L-Let’s go.” She quivered, tugging on Dipper’s arm.  
  
Dipper was about to agree with her, but he saw something else and his eyes sparkled with interest. “Mabel, look.”  
  
There was one thing in the room perfectly intact. By the balcony, in a glass case, stood a book. A maroon book with golden trim and a six-fingered hand on the front stood on a little end table. So much care had been put into preserving it, it must be for a reason. Why would the beast take such good care of a book? Predicting that it had valuable information, Dipper slowly approached. Mabel allowed herself to be pulled gently towards the book, still holding onto her brother’s arm.  
  
Dipper looked at the book. Never before had he seen such a beautiful book in all his life, all the ones in the Valentino library old and worn. His thirst for knowledge and his love for books had him slowly lift the glass cover off of the book and set it on the floor. He picked up the book carefully, finding it as big as his arms, and he opened it. He was crestfallen to find it blank.  
  
Dipper flipped through a few pages and said, “It’s a journal. With nothing in it.”  
  
“Maybe it was a gift.” Mabel guessed. She ran a hand over a page and smiled at how soft it was. “It’s beautiful.” She breathed softly.  
  
Dipper thought his eyes were playing tricks on him in the darkness, but no. Slowly, ink soaked into the pages, coming from nowhere, and read, _Thank you. Greetings._  
  
Dipper, in shock, accidentally dropped the journal on it’s spine and forced himself and Mabel back. A page fell out of the journal and it laid open, nothing changing. Mabel was about to scold Dipper, but then more words appeared on the page.  
  
_Ouch._  
  
“Dipper!” Mabel punched him on the shoulder and scooped up the journal. “I’m sorry, Monsieur Journal. Here, I’ll fix you up.” She picked up the page, kissed it, and placed it in the book, hoping something magical would happen, like the binding would take the page back, but the page fell onto the floor like a leaf from a tree.  
  
_It’s alright, my dear. That happens sometimes. Though falling on my spine is rare._  
  
Mabel smiled sympathetically, detecting a joke, but maybe she was misinterpreting a harsh comment for sarcasm. Maybe not. Dipper rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m really sorry for dropping you, Monsieur Journal.”  
  
_Apology accepted, but please call me Ford._  
  
“Sure. Sorry, Monsieur Ford.” Dipper said. “I’m Dipper and this is my sister, Mabel.”  
  
_Bonjour. It’s lovely to make your acquaintance. What brings you here?_  
  
Dipper and Mabel blushed a little in their cheeks. “We… we were exploring.” Dipper answered.  
  
_Ah, I see. My brother and I used to explore all the time as children. The trouble we would get into drove the staff mad._  
  
“The staff?” Dipper repeated. “You mean, you grew up here?” He looked back at the painting of the two boys.  
  
_Yes, a long time ago._  
  
“Neat-o!” Mabel complimented, still cradling the book ever so gently. “You must have a lot of stories!”  
  
_As a matter of fact, I do._  
  
“Well, we love books!” Mabel sat on her knees, and Dipper peered down, interested. “Fire away, Monsieur Ford!”  
  
The whole journal quivered, as if chuckling, and sure enough, small letters appeared on a page, making _hmmm_ , suggesting maybe a warm chuckle. _I love your energy. Well, there was one time when we…_  
  
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”  
  
Mabel closed the journal and held it close to her chest, protecting it. Dipper stood in front of his sister with his arms outstretched. The beast ran towards them on all fours and stopped just inches from the kids, growling with fire in his eyes. Dipper stood strong in front of his sister, determined to keep her safe, meanwhile she couldn’t understand how someone so nice could be so… so scary.  
  
Stan, with a shaking claw and heavy breaths, reached towards them. “Give him to me.” He growled in such a low, cold, scary voice, that Mabel’s eyes filled with tears. She was flooded with the sense that she had done something very wrong. She scooted an inch to the side, better out from behind Dipper, and held out the journal.  
  
Stan carefully took the book and hunched over slightly, keeping it close to his chest and against his fur. Dipper pulled Mabel away from the beast, still on her knees, but Dipper was ready to scoop her up and run if needed. The beast moved it’s furious eyes back on them and Dipper felt a shiver go down his spine, but he refused to be seen as weak.  
  
“Why did you come here?” The beast growled dangerously.  
  
“W-We’re sorry, M-Monsieur Stan.” Mabel piped, quiet as a mouse. “W-W-We were just exploring and… and…”  
  
“You BRATS! After everything I’ve done for you, you’re NOTHING BUT TROUBLE! GET OUT! GET OUT!!!”  
  
Dipper pulled Mabel up and they ran as fast as they could. Mabel was grateful that Dipper was pulling her, because her eyes were full of tears and it was hard to see.  
  
The second the twins were gone, Stan felt like he was sinking. He had allowed his monstrous temper to get out of hand. Again. He took in a few deep breaths to calm down and he opened the journal. “Stanford, are you okay? Did those kids hurt you?”  
  
_No, Stanley. I’m fine. Those children would never harm me._  
  
The beast’s eyes found the page on the floor.  
  
Seeing this, the journal made new words on the page. _You and I both know that happens randomly._  
  
Stan sighed languidly, the whole world on his shoulders. “We’re running out of time.”  
  
_That may be so, but with the little time I have left I wish to spend it outside a glass container and among good people. Like you._  
  
Stan could hear his brother’s lecturing tone. “I’m not a good person, Sixer. I proved that just now.” He said darkly as guilt overwhelmed him, a feeling he was far too used to.  
  
_So go apologize. Then when you come back, bring the children with you. I wish to tell them embarrassing stories about my brother._  
  
Stan somehow managed an anemic smile. He only heard half the conversation with his excellent hearing on the way here from the woods (more like a fourth of the conversation, since he had no way of knowing what his brother had written), but from what he could tell the kids and Ford were having a good time together. He knew it was paranoid and selfish for Stan to keep Ford locked away like this, but what if something happened to him? He was already losing him slowly. He just couldn’t lose him, but he wanted Ford to be happy just as much as he wanted him to be safe.  
  
“Okay, Sixer.” Stan closed the journal, laid him on the table, and left.  
  
Meanwhile, in the freezing cold, wrapped in black cloaks, the twins were running in the woods, Dipper leading the way, gripping Mabel’s hand. They swatted past branches and trees, running farther away from the castle as fast as they could.  
  
“If that beast won’t help us we’ll just have to find Fiddleford ourselves.” Dipper sneered.  
  
“Dipper, how will we find him?” Mabel asked.  
  
They began to slow down. Scared and angry and hurt, the kids had acted irrationally, leaving without supplies or even a lantern. Still, pride and stubbornness clouded the boy’s mind, so he said, “We’ll just have to look carefully. Come on. Fiddleford! Fiddleford!”  
  
The kids walked in the woods, holding hands, and called out his name. Dark clouds rolled over the full moon, their only light course, and so they moved carefully through the dark forest in order to avoid being hurt again. Mabel squeezed Dipper’s hand and stopped them all of a sudden. “Wait, did you hear that?”  
  
Dipper listened through the howling wind and he thought he heard a small noise through the bushes. He peered in the same direction as his sister and they gasped to find a pig scurrying towards them.  
  
“WADDLES!” Mabel cheered with glee and let go of Dipper to run to her pet pig and pick him up, hugging him tightly. “Oh, my Waddles! Have you been looking for us since no one came home? Good pig! Good pig!”  
  
Dipper smiled and rubbed the pig’s head, who oinked happily. “It’s good to see you too, buddy.”  
  
The happy reunion was ruined when they heard a low growl. Dipper hugged Mabel tightly and her grip on Waddles grew stronger, who trembled in her arms. They could hear howling, so Dipper grabbed one of Mabel’s arms and she put the pig down. “Come on!”  
  
They ran through the woods, hoping to get far away from the wolves and to live to see the sun rise. Waddles ran right behind the twins as they went up and down a hill, tripping on tree roots but coming up okay. Just as they were at the bottom of the hill, a wolf jumped in front of them gray-blue fur covering it’s skinny body and it’s razor sharp teeth unmasked by a snarling muzzle. This wolf was not going to leave without some food.  
  
Mabel screamed. Dipper picked up a fallen branch and was ready to attack the wolf with it. Waddles scampered in front of the kids and oinked warningly at the wolf, but the savage animal roared and the pig was so scared it squealed and ran to be behind Mabel. Dipper swung the branch at the wolf and hit it over the head, dazing it. Mabel acted quickly, grabbing a rock, and threw it. The wolf stumbled, whined, and ran off over the hill and was gone.  
  
Dipper breathed heavily, his heart racing and he smiled at his sister. “G-G-Good… job.” He panted.  
  
“You too, bro-bro.” Mabel hugged him, relieved and proud, and then got on her knees to pet a shaken Waddles. “Poor Waddles, you were so brave.”  
  
Dipper smiled down at his family, but his eyes and ears caught something else. At the top of the hill, a bigger, meaner, scarier wolf appeared. He howled out into the night air and more of his pack joined. It appeared that the wolf the twins had fought off was the weakest one, the runt, and they will pay for bullying him. Mabel picked up Waddles and another rock; Dipper tightened his hold on his branch, ready to fight and protect his sister.  
  
The wolves came running down, circling their dinner. Dipper swung his branch like a club, keeping the wolves at bay, but one grabbed the stick with his teeth and snapped it in two. Dipper threw the sad remains of his weapon at it and hit it on the head. One wolf behind Mabel ambushed and bit her dress, dragging her and Waddles. She screamed bloody murder, terrified, and Dipper cried out and reached out for her hand.  
  
Suddenly, something cloaked in red pounced on the wolf that had a hold of the little girl and threw it against a tree. The wolf staggered up, roaring, but a beast stood in front of the children on all four and roared more horribly. Mabel stared as Dipper hugged his sister close. “Stan?” She whispered in shock.  
  
The wolves circled them, sizing Stan up. Should they work together to try to earn enough food to keep them full for a month, or should they retreat and not take the risk. The alpha seemed to have decided to engage in combat, for it snapped at Stan and the beast retaliated viciously. As the wolves piled on Stan, attacking together as one threat, Dipper held Mabel against his chest, shielding her eyes from the fight in case it turned ugly. She allowed it, squeezing her eyes shut and petting Waddles, her ears forced to hear the growling or wolves and Stan’s painful roars. Dipper watched as the beast worked tirelessly to keep any wolves away from them; one almost jumped on Dipper, but Stan grabbed it’s tail and threw it away in the fight like it was a stuffed toy. Dipper almost didn’t dare to believe the strength Stan had, but the beast was tackling the whole pack of wolves singlehandedly and despite the bites to the necks and his ribs, he was winning. At one point Stan roared so loudly the whole woods trembled and the wolves whined like dogs and ran off, admitting defeat and fleeing up the hill.  
  
As they left, with his back to the children, Stan slowly rose to his back paws like a man. A breeze ruffled his gray fur and red cape, exposing a bleeding arm that he held with his opposite paw. He panted for breath, his head spinning, but ignored it all and turned to look at Dipper and Mabel. Stan’s eyes were soft and lost the fire they held earlier. “Knuckleheads… I meant get outta the room… not the…” His strength left him and he fell onto the dead grass.  
  
Surprising Mabel, Dipper was the one to run to him and fall on his knees by his side. His little hands hover over the beast, unsure of what to do or how to help, but there was no way he wasn’t going to do something. Mabel put Waddles down and joined Dipper. The twins exchanged looks and nodded, their twin telepathy in play. Mabel moved to Stan’s left side and Dipper kept to his right and used his black cloak to cover his bleeding arm; a wolf had scratched it pretty bad in the fight. Waddles nudged his head gently and he started to come back.  
  
“You gotta help us, man.” Dipper said. “Can you stand up?”  
  
Stan growled in his throat, powering through his pain, and with Mabel and Dipper under his arms for support, he soon stood on his back paws again. Slowly, with Waddles leading the way, the kids helped Stan limp towards the castle.  
  
Under his breath, coming and going from his daze, Stan huffed, “Thanks.”  
  
Dipper looked up at him and swallowed. “Thank you, for saving our lives.”  
  
Mabel gave his uninjured arm a comforting squeeze. To help them all feel better, she hummed a tune quietly. All of them were so distracted that they didn’t notice that a few snowflakes had fallen from the dark clouds above.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! The next few chapters are longer than the first three, FYI. Now, since Dipper and Mabel are sharing the role of Belle, I decided to have fun with Dipper being hesitant to trust Stan, also to parallel the episode Dreamscapers and how Dipper was all for pressing the button and Mabel was the one to trust him in Not What He Seems.
> 
> I couldn't help myself and just HAD to make Melody a piano. One thing I really liked about the live-action BatB movie was the addiction of the piano, a possible homage of the huge evil piano dude in the Christmas movie. And come on, what Disney-referenced-filled story would it be without some Mary Poppins, huh? Also, consider Stan telling the kids they’re nothing but trouble a reference to Ducktales 2017, specifically when Scrooge calls his kids that in the season one finale.
> 
> Just gonna go ahead and say that working with Ford here and SO much fun! The ANGST! So much angst!!! The scene where he meets Dipper and Mabel was one I was really looking forward to writing (it should be noted that artsycrapfromsai’s idea for Journal-Ford came from Tom Riddle’s diary in Harry Potter, so there’s that).
> 
> As far as Waddles is concerned… I’ll talk more about him next chapter.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope y’all enjoy it!


	5. Books, Snow, and Yarn

When the children arrived back with the master of the castle and a pig, Soos was a horrid mess and Wendy took charge. The servants of the castle helped to bring the old beast up to the West Wing and back into his bedroom.  
  
The journal watched, uncovered by glass, and listened to the children working together to take care of Stan. Mabel was soft, Dipper was strong, and they were both kind. Once Mabel made sure Stan was comfortable in his bed, Dipper accepted the large supply of bandages and washcloths with hot water and began to work on his injuries. It turned out that Stan had several bad scratches and bites on his back as well as his arm; one bite on his right shoulder was particularly nasty and probably hurt a lot.  
  
All while the boy cleaned the wounds, the beast growled in his throat, almost like purring from an angry cat. He tried to mask his pain, but Mabel sat by his head and held his claw, telling him that if he wanted he could squeeze her hand when he was hurt. Stan gave her a funny look as Mabel petted the back of his paw, feeling the soft texture of his gray fur and smiling.  
  
“I can take care of myself.” He growled. “I’ve been doing it this long.”  
  
“We know.” Dipper said firmly, free to roll his eyes since Stan’s back was to him. “But we kinda owe you.”  
  
“You’re darn right you do.” Stan sneered. “I’ve got a long list of disgusting chores that’ll give my face a run for its money, and it’s got your names on it.” He sighed and added in a softer tone. “Guess it’s not all your fault, though.”  
  
Mabel shook her head. “It’s okay, Monsieur Stan, we shouldn’t have come into your room. We’re sorry.”  
  
Dipper nodded. “I’ll admit, I suck at knowing when to quit.”  
  
Stan snorted a laugh. “Wanna call it even?”  
  
“Deal.” Mabel accepted happily and squeezed his paw.  
  
As Dipper continued to work, Stan’s tired old body, comforted by the girl’s petting and the boy’s care, started to lose its strength again and he soon fell asleep. Mabel giggled, listening to his deep breathing, and turned to look at the journal. It was closed, so Monsieur Ford had no way to talk if he wanted to. Pitying him, Mabel got down from Stan’s bed and went to the journal. She opened it and sat it on the table, touching as little as she could. Dipper paused bandaging an injury and watched with a skeptical look.  
  
“There you go, Monsieur Ford.” Mabel said kindly.  
  
Words soon appeared on the page. _Thank you, my dear. Thank you so very much for bringing my brother home._  
  
“You’re brother?!” Mabel gasped, but then covered her mouth with both hands, afraid of waking Stan, but he was too exhausted to be stirred right now.  
  
 _Yes. The master of this castle, my brother Stanley._  
  
“Monsieur Ford,” Dipper said, finished helping Stan, and he walked towards the journal and his sister. “You weren’t always a journal, and Stan wasn’t always a beast, right?” And he looked back at the portrait of the twin boys.  
  
 _That is correct. We were once human, like you, but we were cursed._  
  
“ _S'il vous plaît, Monsieur._ ” Mabel pleaded. “Will you tell us what happened?”  
  
 _Since you two seem to enjoy stories, I shall. You will have to help me along, reading._ Ford’s tone seemed to be warm and inviting.  
  
Despite this, Mabel’s face turned red and she rubbed an arm nervously. “I don’t read very good.”  
  
“That’s not true, Mabel.” Dipper said quickly and side-hugged her. “Don’t worry, I’ll read out-loud.”  
  
 _I am sure a bright girl like yourself is a fine reader, Mabel._ The journal wrote. </i>You remind me so much of Stanley; he too often thought little of his intelligence, but he is way smarter than others (and he) gave him credit for.</i>  
  
Mabel smiled, still red, and sat on her knees, looking up at the book. An armchair scurried up to the kids and spoke. “AH! _Mi precioso_ , do not sit on the cold floor! Come, come! Have a seat, both of you, and relax.”  
  
 _Kids, this is Abuelita, as she prefers to be called by everyone. Soos’ grandmother._ Ford explained as Mabel sat in the cozy chair.  
  
“Thanks!” She said to Abuelita.  
  
Dipper joined her with the journal in his hands. He laid the book on their laps and said, “We’re ready, Monsieur Ford.”  
  
 _Very well. Thirty years ago, shortly after our parents’ death, we became entangled in something we shouldn’t have.  
  
It was my fault. While Stanley was as strong as five men and more witty than any professor, I excelled academically and held a lot of promise. Father and so many others unfairly showed favor in me and I was ignorant to how it must have hurt my twin.  
  
I also felt out of place, alone. Notice the six-fingered hand on the cover; as a human I have six fingers on each hand. As a child I was bullied and made fun of, but Stanley was always there and told me it made me special. It became my mark as I began to investigate the strange mysteries of the woods and the wonders of the world. Intrigued, I soon met a golden triangle with one eye and formal attire._  
  
When the words slowly disappeared, they were replaced with a drawing. The kids looked to indeed find a triangle with a top hat and a bowtie and a cane, having only one eye and two stick arms and two stick legs.  
  
 _Bill Cipher. A dangerous demon of nightmares and a master of the mind._ Ford went on. _I was a fool, blinded by his flattery and games. I was falling down a very deep hole, but I was lucky to have Stanley there, like always, and he managed to con the ultimate conman. This angered Bill, and as revenge he cursed us._  
  
“How?” Dipper asked. “What exactly did he do to you?”  
  
 _He turned Stanley into a breast and me into a journal, and all of the servants turned as wel, as we are now. I cannot walk or talk like the staff can, only communicate through writing, and I slowly lose my pages. With each page, I lose part of my memory and a part of myself. When the last page falls, I will be nothing more than an empty shell, and everyone will remain cursed forever._  
  
“This story's so sad!” Mabel exclaimed. “There’s gotta be a way to get a happy ending!”  
  
“Mabel’s right,” Dipper said. “Is there a way to undo the curse?”  
  
The journal was blank for a moment, but then these words seeped onto the page: _After he cursed us, Bill only said that when Stanley loves someone and earns their love in return can the curse be undone._  
  
Mabel lit up. “Love? We can help! There’s tons of cute single ladies in our village who would love to go out with a nice, smart, strong guy like Stan!”  
  
“I dunno, Mabel,” Dipper said hesitantly. “Everyone in our town thinks we’re weirdos and make fun of us. How do you think they’ll react to Stan?”  
  
“But once they got to know him…”  
  
 _Your people think you are weird?_ The journal wrote. _How come?_  
  
Dipper crossed his arms over his chest. “They think we’re ‘odd’ because Mabel’s learning how to read, I don’t wanna join the army, and we like to invent things.”  
  
 _They make fun of you over that? I’m sorry. I think reading and inventing is no reason to be made fun of, nor is a lack in desire to fight._  
  
“Oh, I still wanna learn how to fight, I just don’t wanna be anyone’s tool.” Dipper then suddenly turned bright red. “No offense.”  
  
Ford, however, quivered ever so slightly and big capital letters spilled over the page. _HAHAHAHAHA! No offense taken, my boy! Holy Moses, I haven’t… well, I wouldn’t call that laughing, but thank you for making me almost laugh for the first time in thirty years._  
  
“Thirty years.” Mabel repeated with a small moan. “Don’t you worry, Monsieur Ford, we’ll help Stan fall in love so everyone will be free.”  
  
 _It is not for you to worry about._  
  
“Yes it is!” Mabel insisted. “You’re our friends. We wanna help you.”  
  
“Yeah, man,” Dipper said, actually gradually siding with Mabel on this one. “Once Fiddleford finds this place we’ll go home and help find someone for Stan.”  
  
“He’s a great guy,” Mabel said. “And I’m the best matchmaker in the world! I bet together we can end this curse and kick Bill’s butt!”  
  
“Mabel,” Dipper hushed as she became overly passionate and was a bit too loud.  
  
 _Your enthusiasm is greatly appreciated and valued, kids, but do not fret over it. We have time._  
  
“How much time?” Dipper asked, eyeing how many pages Ford had.  
  
 _If I absolutely had to make a guess of how long we have left… ten years._  
  
“Oh.” Dipper said, freed from the sense of urgency. He yawned into his hand. “Still, we’ll do what we can for you guys.”  
  
The journal was blank again, like he was doing some thinking, but then he wrote, _Thank you, again, but now is not the time to worry about all that. You two should get to bed. It’s late._  
  
Mabel shook her head. “Nuh, uh. What if Stan needs our help with his boo-boos? We’ll just have a sleepover right here, won’t we, Abuelita?”  
  
“ _Si, niña_.” The armchair said and used her unusual arms to throw a blanket over the twins.  
  
Dipper took off his hat, finding Abuelita quite comfortable, and he wrapped an arm around his sister. After the scare he had earlier, he had to admit he liked the idea of sleeping by her side tonight. “Good idea, sis.”  
  
“I’m full of good ideas.” Mabel joked. “G’night, Monsieur Ford.”  
  
 _Goodnight, Dipper and Mabel. Sweet dreams._  
  
Mabel hugged Dipper around his waist, his arm still around her, and she smiled as she closed her eyes. She could hear his heartbeat. It was faster than it should be for sleep. Knowing just what to do, she began to quietly sing a lullaby. “Days in the sun, though your life has barely begun, not until my own life is done will I ever leave you.”  
  
Dipper chuckled, remembering the song Fiddleford and Shermie used to sing, and he muttered sleepily, “Oh, I’ll tremble again to my dear one's gorgeous refrain. You will not forever remain out of reach of my arms.” His eyes, which had been open, found Ford’s open pages spilling a poem missing it’s tune.  
  
 _All those days in the sun,  
What I'd give to give you them all,  
All to my love,  
And sing out my call._  
  
“You know that song?” Dipper asked and Mabel opened her eyes to find it on Ford’s pages.  
  
 _Our mother used to sing it to us when we were children, every night. Please, continue and ignore me._  
  
“You should sleep, too, Monsieur Ford.” Mabel said sleepily. She took the journal in her arms, hugged the closed book, and held him as she leaned on her brother.  
  
Ford didn’t get a chance to explain that he did not sleep, but as he could ghostly feel the girl’s warmth, he was beyond happy to be in her embrace for the night.  
  
Dipper smiled, gave Mabel a squeeze, and closed his eyes for sleep as he uttered under his breath. “Days in the sun will return, we must believe. As lovers do, that days in the sun will come shining through.”  


* * *

  
Despite the wolves, despite the darkness, despite the freezing cold and the falling snow, Fiddleford trudged on. He held his casted, broken arm close to his chest for warmth, crushing a few inches of snow with his boots. The snow was coming down hard, blinding him and making it feel like a hundred tiny knives were cutting his face, but he forced himself to keep going. The idea of his children somewhere in this snow terrified him. “Dipper!” He called out. “Mabel!”  
  
Fiddleford brought his scarf up to his nose so his breath would warm the bottom-half of his face. The familiar scents of family and love came to his schnoz. Mabel had knitted him this green scarf. In fact, she knitted him his sweater and gloves, too, but this scarf, tangled and elementary, had been Mabel’s first scarf and once Shermie’s, but when he died and left it back to Mabel, she insisted that Fiddleford have it.  
  
Every time Fiddleford went to Paris to sell the clocks and music boxes in the past, he always asked the twins what they wanted, as a way to help handle his absence better. Every time, Dipper asked for a book everyone would want to hear him read and Mabel hesitantly asked for yarn. Yarn was usually very expensive, and she knew that, but she had a raw talent for knitting and sewing. No one had taught her how to knit or sew, but the minute the materials were in her hands, as young as four, she knew what to do. She was amazing like that. Better yet, with her gift of yarn, if lucky enough to have some, she always made clothes for others before herself, knitting Dipper, Fiddleford, and Shermie sweaters and gloves and scarfs and hats to keep them warm during long winters.  
  
The first time she surprised Fiddleford with a blue sweater, she smiled at him and said, “Now you can have me wherever you go.”  
  
Fiddleford wiped his eyes dry; he couldn’t afford to cry, his tears would freeze on his face. Mabel needed him, Dipper needed him, so he continued to call out their names as the rest of the village searched behind him, much slower than the old man.  


* * *

  
Stan woke up to the sound of giggling. He opened his eyes, facing the window and Ford’s table, and he found Mabel standing there with a quill in her hand and playing tic-tac-toe with Ford. She was Xs and Ford was Os. Most of the time Mabel won, but occasionally (whether to keep her humble or because Brainiac couldn’t help himself) Ford would win, but Mabel seemed just as delighted by Ford’s wins as her own.  
  
“Yay! Good job, Monsieur Ford! Okay, you go first.”  
  
Stan smiled and slowly sat up. Dipper was by his side and smiled. “Morning, Stan. How are you feeling?”  
  
“M’fine, kid.” Stan said, popping his old back and stretching his arms. He ruffled his fur loose and gave the boy an impressed smile. “Good job fixin’ me up, I feel good as new.”  
  
“Thanks.” Dipper said.  
  
“Monsieur Stan!” Mabel called, turning away from her game with Ford for a moment. “Did you see?! IT SNOWED! We should all play outside!”  
  
“C’mon, Mabel,” Dipper said easily. “Stan’s just a hurt old man, he should take it easy.” And he gave the beast a smirk.  
  
“Old man?!” Stan barked and stood tall and strong. “That’s it, you just earned yourself a huge snowball to the face!”  
  
“And don’t worry, Monsieur Ford,” Mabel said, setting her quill down and scooting the table with Ford on it closer to the window. “This way you can watch us. If you want to.”  
  
 _Thank you, Mabel._ The words read.  
  
Waddles oinked happily and showed his belly to Stan, lying on the floor. He glared at the animal. “And what is _that_?”  
  
“That’s my pet pig, Waddles!” Mabel joyfully introduced. “He found us in the woods last night.”  
  
“No,” Stan said firmly and shook his head. “No pigs allowed in this castle. They’re nothing but fat, naked jerks.”  
  
“Aw, come on,” The girl cooed and hugged her pig with big brown eyes. “Just for a few days?”  
  
Stan winced. _Sacrebleu_ , that girl was just very manipulated. He ignored the painful reminder that the kids were only here for a little while and growled, “Fine, just make sure he doesn’t eat any of Sixer’s pages or I’m eating him for lunch.”  
  
“Don’t worry, we keep books around him all the time.” Dipper said as he petted the pig’s head. “He knows not to bother them.”  
  
Dipper and Mabel dragged Stan out by his paws and for the outdoors. Waddles climbed up on Abuelita the armchair and curled up for a nap.  
  
The kids admired the beautiful garden covered in the late autumn snow. A soft blanket coated the whole world, fluffy but not delicate. Everyone was warmly dressed and ready to play. The twins took in deep breaths and then slowly counted to three. On three, they simultaneously jumped off the short balcony and landed on their faces. Stan watched, confused, but then they both rolled on their fronts and laughed, their breath visible, and they began to make snowangels on the ground.  
  
“Come _on_ , Stan!” Mabel called.  
  
“Yeah, c’mon, man!” Dipper shouted happily.  
  
Stan smiled mischievously, took a step back, and then launched himself into the air. He landed with his beefy arms over each kid and his head in the middle, and when he turned on his back with the kids in his hold, all three were laughing like mad. Mabel swiftly made a snowball and threw it at Dipper’s face. He scrambled up after his running sister and threw one at her. Stan sat in the snow, watching the kids play, throwing snowballs at each other and running around the yard. His tail wagged against the sparkling snow.  
  
Dipper threw one and Mabel ran around Stan, resorting to the ball hitting him right in the face. Stan shook the snow out of his eyes as Mabel laughed and Dipper paled, but wearing a kind smirk on his face, Stan gathered a snowball in his paw and threw it at Dipper, who was hit in the chest and ran. Stan scurried to his feet and ran around with the kids, throwing slightly bigger snowballs that the kids enjoyed. Stan soon made a huge snowball with his strong arms, the ball almost as big as one child, but when Mabel threw one at Stan’s face he accidentally dropped the huge ball that was held over his head and he was covered in snow.  
  
Dipper and Mabel laughed so hard they had no choice but to stop running, leaning on each other for support. Stan found their laugh more contagious than the plague and roared with joy as he shook off the snow like a dog on all fours. Mabel ran into his arms and Dipper soon followed, hugging him to warm him up and apologize without words for winning the war. Stan was surprised by their desire to hug him, but he hugged them back gently and rubbed their backs, finding their clothes soaked.  
  
“Alright, gremlins, let’s get you dry and warm.” Stan said and picked them up to go back into the castle. “We can play again later.”  
  
“Okay,” Mabel cooed as she snuggled against Stan’s chest, holding onto his gray fur. “Hm, you’re so warm.”  
  
Stan’s own face suddenly felt a little warmer. “Yeah, well, there’s some benefits to being a big ugly monster, I guess.”  
  
That didn’t sit right with the twins. From each of his arms, they exchanged looks, but an idea came to Dipper that distracted him from Stan’s comment. “Hey, can we read with Ford while we dry off? He says he’s got lots of great stories to tell.”  
  
Stan smiled down at him. “You like him, don’t you?”  
  
“Yeah, he’s pretty cool.” Dipper said, glancing away.  
  
“I thought you would. You’re both nerds.” Stan teased.  
  
Dipper shrugged in a whatcha-gonna-do-about-it style. Mabel hopped down and said, “I’ll go get him so we can read together!” And she ran up the stairs.  
  
Dipper got down from Stan’s hold, too, and was about to go to the living room, but Stan spoke and stopped him in his tracks. “Kid, wait. You really like books, right?”  
  
Dipper turned and responded with a dip of his head. “Yeah, I do. I was pretty much the only one that read the library in town, and by library I mean one bookshelf.”  
  
Stan waved a paw towards himself. “Follow me. I got something for you.” Dipper casually followed Stan down a hallway and they stopped at the double doors. The beast turned to the boy and gave him a cunning smile. “Ah, ah. Close your eyes.”  
  
Dipper crossed his arms over his chest and sneered at him with a smile. “Is this a prank?”  
  
“No, just do it.” Stan chuckled. “It’s a surprise.”  
  
Dipper gave in and closed his eyes. After testing that he truly was blind by waving a paw in front of his face, Stan opened the doors and put a hand on his back to help him walk. “Okay, okay, here we go… okay, stop.”  
  
“Can I see?”  
  
“Hold it, squirt, gimme a sec.” Stan hurried to pull back curtains and brighten the room. Candles magically came to life. “Okay, okay… open ‘em up!”  
  
Dipper opened his eyes, blinked to adjust to the newfound light, and then his jaw dropped. Towering over him, a room arguably bigger than the ballroom held thousands if not hundreds of thousands of books. Rich mahogany desks sat filled with parchment and quills and ink, globes and atlas took up some desk space, but Dipper couldn’t tear his eyes away from all of the books. Stairways and ladders could reach the books up at the very top and giant windows seeped in beautiful sunlight to ease the eyes.  
  
“Shut. Up.” Dipper said hoarsely. “I’ve never seen so many books! Look at this place!” He went to a bookshelf and gently ran a hand over the dozens of spines exposed to him.  
  
“You like it?” Stan asked, leaning by the door with his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
“I love it!”  
  
“Then it’s all yours.”  
  
Dipper’s jaw was nearly on the floor when he turned to look at the master of the castle. “You really mean it?”  
  
“Sure do, Smart Guy.” Stan smiled at him. “Go nuts.”  
  
Dipper, trembling, ran to a shelf and began to pick books to read.  
  
Mabel came in, carrying Ford carefully like he was a baby, and she gasped joyfully. “Wowie, zowie! A whole library!” She gave Ford to Stan to hold and joined her brother, helping him by holding his stack of books.  
  
Stan smiled and opened Ford to talk to him. Immediately words appeared before him. _That was ingenious, Stanley. Dipper will surely make good use out of the library._  
  
“Thanks, Sixer.” Stan watched the kids from across the vast room, his smile dropping. As a twin, he knew that it was rare to have something done _only_ for you and not you _and_ your twin. He wanted to do something special for each of them, but each of them separately. The library was Dipper’s, though Mabel was free to use it since she obviously liked stories (Stan noticed that Dipper liked “books” and Mabel liked “stories”), but she needed something of her own. “I wanna do something for Mabel.” He whispered. “But I know nothing about what girls like. Make-up? Dolls?”  
  
 _My knowledge on girls is also very limited._ Ford admitted. _But I do know that you should consider something that sparks her interests and not something exclusively femanine. You didn’t give Dipper a gun or a sword._  
  
Stan shrugged. “Okay, good point. So, what? What does Mabel like?”  
  
 _Well, I can recall her saying this morning that she loves sweaters. When I asked her about it, she said she loves to knit but could rarely afford the yarn._  
  
“That’s it!” Stan closed Ford gently and held him against his chest one-armed. “Mabel, sweetie, can you come with me? I got something for you, too.”  
  
Mabel shoved the twenty-plus books in her brother’s arms and ran up to Stan. He smiled at her huge grin and walked with her down the hall. He led her to a single door. Mabel instantly took off her pink headband and tied it over her eyes so she wouldn’t be tempted to peek. “I wanna be surprised!” She squealed.  
  
Stan chuckled. “Give me your hand, kid.” Mabel did and Stan led her into the room. He opened a curtain and let go of the girl’s little hand. “Alright, you can look now.”  
  
Mabel pulled her blindfold down onto her neck and she gasped so big her lungs filled quickly. It was like a grand supply closet. There was a wall full of rolls of different patterns of fabric and silk, figurines to make clothes on, drawers full of supplies, desks full of paints and canvases and brushes, and an odd shelf of some kind, squares that held bundles of yarn, all in rainbow order. What was better yet, this room may have been only twenty feet wide, but it was forty feet tall, like a tower, and a rolling ladder helped to reach the higher fabrics and yarns. A window as tall as the room let in bright sunlight to make crafting easy.  
  
“OH MY GOSH!” Mabel cried out and looked around the room. “It’s like arts-n’-crafts heaven!”  
  
“It was Ma’s room.” Stan shared as he chuckled over Mabel’s joy. “She used to come down here and spend hours painting and drawing and making clothes. Pa used to get on her case about it. Said she didn't give the seamstresses enough to do.”  
  
“Your dad sounds like a stupid jerk.” Mabel added quickly before resuming her cheerful attitude. “This is wonderful! I love it! LOOK at all the COLORS!”  
  
“If you like it so much, then it’s yours.” Stan said.  
  
Mabel turned and Stan was clutched to find her crying. Well, not really crying, but there were tears in her eyes and one escaped each eye, rolling down her cheeks. “THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!” Mabel cheered and ran to him.  
  
One arm busy holding Ford, Stan fell on his butt by the impact of the girl and she hugged him around his big neck, nuzzling her face into his fur. He stared ahead in astonishment and wrapped an arm around her, petting her soft brown hair and admiring her warmth.  
  
Too soon she skipped away and climbed up the ladder for some red yarn. “I’m gonna make you a sweater first! Then I’ll make Ford one, a little book-holder to keep him warm.”  
  
“I don’t think he really gets cold anymore.” Stan said as he stood again.  
  
“Well then, I’ll go ahead and make him a sweater to wear when he’s human again.” Mabel reasoned.  
  
Stan was distracted by that statement. When he was human again. When they were human again. He had lost all hope for so long of someone ever loving him that it seemed foolish to think of the curse ever being broken, but Mabel and Dipper seemed to like him, and Ford probably loved him (for some odd reason) so maybe it was possible for him to find a beautiful mademoiselle to love and have her love him back. Stan shook his train of thought away as Dipper now joined them, six books stacked in his arms and making his limbs quiver, but he didn’t seem to care.  
  
“Mabel, what’s… whoa-oh!” Dipper awed at the room. “No way! Cool art supplies.”  
  
“Thanks!” Mabel said and climbed down with red and orange yarn in her arms and she opened a drawer full of different size knitting needles and pulled out a pair she liked. “Wanna read to us by the fire?”  
  
“Sure.”  
  
In the lounge, Stan sat in front of the huge fireplace, making plenty of room for Ford to be safe. Dipper and Mabel sat in his lap, the boy at his left and the girl at his right, and Dipper opened Ford and the journal began to tell a story. Dipper read the words out-loud, occasionally having Mabel give reading a try, only needing assistance a handful of times for bigger words, but Ford seemed to purposely use smaller words when it was her turn to read.  
  
Stan, without realizing it, was purring. The children noticed, but said nothing. Mabel nuzzled closer to him, grateful for his large body and fluffy gray fur. She thought he was wonderful in every aspect and Dipper full-heartedly agreed. The biggest mystery of them all was how Dipper didn’t see this all before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This… this is where, in my humble opinion, the story actually becomes worth reading. I feel like the patience we, the audience, must have with the BatB story - seeing the Beast as he is before his change of heart, seeing Belle run away and all the obstacles before them both - make the bonding scenes even better. Gives a FINALLY sort of feeling. I wanted to carry that over here, making the beginning a little slow (though I probably lost some readers that way), but making it even more rewarding for those who read on. Or maybe I’m just making an excuse for a suck-ish beginning. Who knows.
> 
> Okay, so Waddles NOT being a footstool is so that it ties in more to the canon GF storyline. I didn’t want Waddles to be some pet Stan didn’t like and only tolerated for someone else’s sake or a farm-animal that was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Rather, I had him always be Mabel’s and I also left him at home in the beginning to better parallel the show’s canon (even though Waddles is in the intro, he isn’t introduced until S1E9). I also, mainly, just really wanted Stan to only allow Waddles in the castle to make Mabel happy, cuz Imma sap that’s why.
> 
> Moving on, I put both Days in the Sun and a hint of Something There at the end. When writing the snow scene, I listened to Wolf Children’s Snow soundtrack; I personally thought it fit so well. Not much else to say except Mabel’s craft-room is my idea and I love love LOVE the library scene (both in this fic and in the animated BatB movie; the live-action movie RUINED the scene!)


	6. Voices of Winter Waltz

The next few days were wonderful. The journal, the beast, and the two children grew closer and closer, becoming good friends. While the children enjoyed including Ford in all things possible, reading and drawing with him, they had a special bond with Stan. So many times the journal watched as the beast played in the snow, making snow angels and snowmen with Dipper and Mabel, or witnessed them playing chess, or heard of their times together from Stan himself, and Ford was so very happy for Stan. Maybe after all these years, he will finally believe he wasn’t a monster.  
  
Stan was always good with kids, but the twins were special. Mabel knitted him the promised red sweater within two days and even blessed it with a kiss, as was tradition. Stan bit his lip and put it on under his cloak and wore it proudly all day, only taking it off in fear of ripping it or ruining it.  
  
The evening of their first snowball fight, Stan joined the children at the table and was so hungry that he had forgotten his little secret and buried his face into his soup like an animal, leaving his silverware abandoned by his bowl and making a mess. He suddenly stopped, embarrassed, and grumpily wiped his dripping, furry chin with his knuckles.  
  
Dipper and Mabel, however, were not disturbed or digested, as he had predicted they would be. Dipper only smiled at him (he had assumed this was how a canine-like creature would eat) and Mabel grinned and picked up her bowl. “Yeah! Who needs spoons?!” And she drank her soup from the soul with a smile. Dipper did the same. Stan grinned, wiped himself clean, and picked up his bowl and lapped it.  
  
The spoons stood up, huffed and stuck their heads up high, and left the dining hall.  
  
The next day, in front of the fire as Dipper read a new book out-loud and Mabel worked on an orange sweater, it happened again. Stan made a hostile comment about his appearance. His tone was casual and even a little comedic, but his vocabulary was dark and unappreciated by the children. They exchanged looks before Mabel finally decided to say something. “Stan, I really don’t like that m-word.”  
  
“What? Might?”  
  
“No,” Mabel laid her knitting down on her lap and gave him a firm yet gentle look; it reminded Stan of his mother. “You’re not… It’s not… I… It’s not what’s on the outside that counts, it’s what’s on the inside!” Mabel finally settled on. “And you’re full of giant, sparkly, dusty, mushy piles of gold!”  
  
“Yeah man,” Dipper injected. “Aside from a few hiccups, you’ve been nothing but nice to us. Don’t put yourself down like that. You’re not a monster.” He added firmly.  
  
“Not to mention cute and fluffy! Mabel added, ruffling the gray fur on his arm. “For what it’s worth, we think you’re pretty awesome.”  
  
Stan was stunned. He swallowed a lump in his throat and turned his head away, trying to hide a sniff as he wiped at his eye.  
  
“Aw, Stan,” Mabel cooed.  
  
“Dude, are you crying?” Dipper asked with a smile and a raised eyebrow.  
  
“No, I’ve just got something in my eye, that’s all.” Stan grumbled. “Staff’s gotten lazy with the dusting. Wish they did as good a job as you kids with that ballroom.”  
  
Mabel and Dipper, who weren’t fooled, smiled with pride, having just finished the ballroom today, and they resumed their activities in peace.  
  
Later that evening, when Stan recalled the event as he prepared for bed, Ford laughed (or laughed as much as a journal can). _I’ve been telling you the same thing for years._ Stan can practically hear his brother’s know-it-all tone.  
  
“Yeah, well, it’s different when those two kids say it.” Stan snapped. “They’re not blood.”  
  
 _Uh-huh._  
  
“Shut up, Sixer.”  


* * *

  
Dipper tested the pulley system again while Mabel hitched Waddles up. There was a huge washing well in the castle, and though the servants would have been happy to do laundry, the twins wanted to test their invention in peace; they never did get to see if it was truly better than hand-washing. Mabel laid a trail of corn around the well and Waddles trotted along happily, then the kids sat with a book and waited. Rather than Dipper reading, he had Mabel read in order to practice, none of them having to hear someone coming along and stopping a girl from learning.  
  
The clothes inside the barrel were spinning and getting soapy. Dipper and Mabel smiled at that and resumed their reading. Their invention seemed to be working. A soft knock on the door interrupted them and Stan walked into the shack. “Hey kids, just wanted… Holy Moses! What is that?” The beast asked as he looked at the odd contraption.  
  
“It’s our washing machine!” Mabel cheered. “Dipper invented it…”  
  
“Don’t even try, Mabel.” Dipper teased and lightly shoved her by the shoulder. “It was your idea, I just helped you make it real.”  
  
“Wow.” Stan bent his knees and watched the clothes turn and clean themselves in the barrel as Waddles pulled it along the well. “That’s really impressive, kids. Really. Just… wow.”  
  
“So,” Dipper said hesitantly. “You don’t think it’s weird?”  
  
“Are you kidding? It’s super weird, but weird’s a good thing. I’ve never seen anything like it! It’s unique!” Stan ruffled their hair and smiled kindly down at them. “I’m proud of you little geniuses. You did good. You know what, we should make this a permanent thing, make all the laundry go by faster.”  
  
As Mabel smiled, her bottom lip trembled. Dipper looked away with a red face. Apart from Fiddleford, no one had ever praised one of he and Mabel’s inventions. For the first time in his life, Dipper didn’t feel a freak for being himself.  


* * *

  
Stan was admiring the ballroom again. Those kids did a good job with it. It sparkled and shined like a huge diamond. It looked more lively than it looked in thirty years. Everyone here felt more alive than they had felt in thirty years.  
  
Tapping noises could be heard as Soos hopped up to Stan. “Sup, boss?”  
  
“Just thinking.”  
  
“Ah.” Soos hopped up onto the piano and smiled at Melody, who smiled back, before drawing their attention back to the master of this castle.  
  
“Soos, Melody, I’m sorry.”  
  
“Oh,” Melody sighed. “It’s alright. It’ll all be over soon, you’ll see, sir. Once the kids’ guardian takes them home they’ll help you find a nice girl that will break the spell.”  
  
Stan snorted with a half-smile. “I don’t think that’s gonna work, but I guess you miss all the shots you don’t take.” His ear flickered. He lifted his head. “Hear that?”  
  
Soos and Melody listened, but heard nothing.  
  
Stan left the ballroom and listened. His advanced hearing picked up… groaning? Punching? Cautious, Stan followed the sound to the old chophouse in the garden. He opened it to find Dipper alone in there, but he was punching a makeshift dummy made out of wood. Stan watched as Dipper’s noodle arms launched little, uncoordinated fists at a t-shaped wooden figure. He smiled and shook his head before emerging from behind the door. “I thought you said you didn’t wanna fight.”  
  
Dipper jumped, short of breath, but when he saw Stan he relaxed and kicked the hay-covered floor. “That’s _not_ what I said. I just don’t wanna join the army like all the other boys at school. I still wanna learn how to fight.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Cuz Mabel needs me to!” Dipper snapped. Stan gave him a funny look, a look he couldn’t quite pin as a warning or sympathetic, so Dipper sat against the wall of the shack and explained himself. “I can’t go off to war because Mabel needs me here. If I went away and never came back she would be heartbroken. She can’t lose anything else, she just can’t. She already lost Mom and Dad and Grandpa, if she lost me, her twin, she’d… she’d…” The twelve-year-old rested his forehead on his folded arms and tried to compose himself. “I can’t lose her either. That’s why I have to learn how to fight. We almost died, twice. She needs me to be able to look after her.”  
  
“Sounds to be it’s more like _you_ need her. You need to make sure she’s okay.” Stan concluded.  
  
Dipper sighed. “Yeah.”  
  
Stan smiled and bent his knees to be closer to the boy. “Look, kid, trust me, I might not know much, but I do know a thing or two about twins. You two need each other equally, trust me. Don’t you dare think for a second that’s not true. Also, I think knowing where you’re needed most is a huge part of what being a man is, and right now you’re the best at it I know.”  
  
Dipper lifted his head and stared up at the beast, whose eyes sparkled warmly. He smiled and said, “Thanks, Stan.”  
  
“Anyways,” He stood up straight and motioned for Dipper to do the same. “Wood makes a crummy opponent. If you really wanna learn, I’ll teach you how to fight.”  
  
Dipper stood up and accepted the offer, and so Stan taught him how to give a good punch and dodge pretty well.  


* * *

  
Mabel was laughing over a story Ford had just written for her. They were having fun together, drawing pictures, playing games, and telling stories. A fun game to play was one they made up where Ford would have Mabel give him a collection of words and he would make up a story from such words. Since he found Dipper far more relatable, Ford was happy to bond with Mabel and get to know her better. She seemed lost in thought as she looked away, and Ford patiently waited for an explanation why.  
  
“Ford,” Mabel said quietly. “Fiddleford said books don’t lie; is that true?”  
  
Ford’s soul smiled warmly. _This book certainly doesn’t lie. What is troubling you, my dear?_  
  
“Can you see me?”  
  
 _Yes._  
  
“Am I ugly?”  
  
If Ford had a heart, it would have skipped a beat. Mabel mustered enough courage to look at him and was surprised to see the words not as elegantly printed like before. _What makes you ask such a question?_  
  
Mabel sighed and looked down at her hands in her lap. “Back in my village, there’s a lot of cute boys. Dipper calls me boy-crazy. I used to ask out a lot of guys, I mean, if you want something go and get it, but more and more just laughed at me. Called me a freak for liking to invent and read books. Said my cheeks were too fat and my teeth are too crooked and my hair is too greasy and…” Mabel’s voice cracked and failed her.  
  
 _Mabel, read what I have to say very carefully._ Ford instructed.  
  
Mabel wiped her stinging eyes to see better. _You are the most beautiful thing I have seen in thirty years. You are very beautiful, both inside and out. No one is as kind as you, nor as insightful and delightful to be around. You - and your brother, too, for that matter - have made me feel more alive that I have ever felt, even as a human. So don’t you dare think for one moment that you’re ugly or that something is wrong with you._  
  
Mabel’s bottom-lip trembled. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she mumbled, “C-C-Can I h-hug y-y-you?” She only asked because when she hugged the closed book, Ford would be unable to talk.  
  
 _Please do._  
  
Mabel carefully closed the journal and hugged him like a teddy bear. Mabel cried, spilling about everything. Not just about the insults, but over the loss of her parents, over Grandpa Shermie’s death, over being lost and scared and possibly never seeing Fiddleford again. Mabel tried not to cry on Ford’s pages, but she noticed a drop falling into the book when she began to pull away and she quickly flicked through the pages to try to find her mistake. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She cried.  
  
On a page, Ford quickly wrote, _Don’t be sorry. Water does not damage me the way it does other books. I know you must be tired of reading this, but you just reminded me of Stanley._  
  
Mabel wiped her nose on her sleeve. “I did?”  
  
 _He used to cry on my open pages, ashamed and overcome with guilt. Still does sometimes. I do not mind; on the contrary, I am glad to be able to wipe your tears away._  
  
Mabel smiled, but still cried. She laid the journal open on the table and laid her little head on him, like he was a pillow, as she continued to cry. Out of the corner of her eye, the girl saw more comforting words on the pages. _Don’t you worry, my dear. One day a boy will come along and have great interest in you and treat you right._  
  
“Th-There’s one boy,” Mabel whimpered, thinking of Gideon, “But he’s creepy. I told him I don’t like him and he won’t quit asking me out.”  
  
 _Shall I tell Stanley and send him in this boy’s direction?_  
  
Mabel hiccuped a laugh. “N-No, that’s okay.”  
  
 _Regardless, one day your own prince will meet you and love you and love every part of you._  
  
Mabel cried a little harder, spilling more tears on the pages that were instantly soaked away. He and Stan were such amazing friends. She would do anything for them. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you and Stan break the curse.” She wept. “And when you’re human again, I give you lots of hugs and wipe away your tears.”  
  
Ford’s next words were very scraggly and a little hard to read. _That would be lovely._  


* * *

  
The next day, Mabel was in the ballroom. She and Dipper were done cleaning, but she decided that she should sweep one more time, just in case. As she did, Melody played a soft tune while the girl sang a made-up song. “They'll be human again, oh yes human again, when a girl finally sets them all free. Cheeks a-blooming again, they're assuming again, they'll resume their long-lost _joie de vivre_. They'll be playing again, holidaying again, and we're praying it's ASAP. They’ll push and they’ll shove, they will all fall in love and finally be human again!”  
  
Mabel was soon dancing around with her broom, tapping her shoes and singing and having fun. Dipper and Stan, having just finished another fighting lesson, found her and were amused. Mabel ended with a dip of her broom and said, “Thanks.”  
  
“Don’t mention it.” The broom said and hopped away.  
  
“Nice to see this room being put to good use.” Stan quipped.  
  
“Hey!” Mabel said, getting an idea. “Why don't we use it?! We worked so hard to make it nice, what if we dressed up after dinner and had a dance party together! We can sing and dance together, it’ll be fun!”  
  
Stan chuckled and shook his head. “Sweetie, you do not want to hear this voice singing, trust me.”  
  
“Aw, c’mon,” Mabel begged. “How about it, Dip-Dip? Am I a genius or what?”  
  
“More like or what.” Dipper teased and then had to endure a punch on the shoulder. “But yeah, I think that sounds like fun.”  
  
“OH! We can even wear fancy clothes! We _are_ in a castle! It’ll be so much fun! And I bet Ford would want to come!”  
  
“You’re crazy, kids,” Stan laughed, but smiled down at them with his hands on his hips. “But I like your gumption.”  
  
“I don’t know what that word means, but thank you.”  
  
“Alright, alright,” The beast smiled with twinkling eyes and asked, “You want a dance, you’ve got one! We could all use one. Tell Grenda to make you two clothes fit for a prince and princess, and after dinner we’ll all come back here for a dance.”  
  
The kids cheered and jumped around, high-fiving and running off to tell Grenda. Stan smiled proudly and left to get ready as well.  
  
Grenda wasn’t the only one busy that day. It seemed like all the servants were encouraged by the small makeshift party to make the castle look better. Soos and Wendy worked together to gather a team together to clean the whole castle from top to bottom. Candy had the kitchen fix a delicious meal and Grenda and her girls put forth their best effort for the new clothes. Even Pacifica the mirror found it in here to compliment the kids’ appearances. “Not bad, peasants. You clean up nice.”  
  
 _A dance._ Ford wrote while Stan dried his fur, having just emerged from the tub. _What a wonderful idea! You always were - dare I say it - a party animal._  
  
“Sweet Lord, Sixer,” Stan grumbled as he shook his long gray hair dry with a towel, his muscular chest exploded, free from his usual shirt. “It wasn’t even my idea, it was the kids’.”  
  
Stan about to disappear to get dressed, but he read his brother’s message first. _Those children mean a lot to you, don’t they?_  
  
Stan smiled softly and disappeared behind his cover for privacy. “Kinda a stupid question for a genius to ask, but yeah. Yeah, they’re good kids. It’ll… it’ll be hard to say goodbye.”  
  
 _Goodbye? What do you mean?_  
  
When Stan peeked and saw those words, he sighed and said darkly, “Face it, Ford. Those kids won’t be around much longer. Soon enough that Fiddlenerd guy or whatever is gonna find them and take them home where they belong. They’ll finally be with their family again.”  
  
Ford’s pages were blank for awhile as Stan slowly got dressed. For being the “smart” twin, he had failed to think that far ahead. _Stanley, they’ll come back._  
  
When Stan emerged, fully dressed in all but his top red coat, he shook his head at his brother’s words. “I doubt it. It’s dangerous in the woods. Once they leave they might never find this place again. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you should enjoy having them around while we’ve got a chance.”  
  
The sounds of Soos’ approach ended the conversation prematurely. “The little dudes are ready, dudes.” The hammer informed.  
  
“Thanks, Soos.” Stan said and picked up Ford and closed him. “Brave faces, Sixer.”  
  
Stan stood at the bottom of the stairs with Ford in his right arm and against his chest, his left tucked behind him. He was having a _deja vu_ moment from standing to greet guests of the parties back in the day. Stan could hear giggling from the kids as they readied themselves, and soon walked down, the boy leading the girl. Stan’s jaw dropped, showing his sharp teeth.  
  
Dipper had left his hat behind, his hair just long enough to be tied back with a blue ribbon. He wore a strapping blue suit with gold trim, much like Stan’s suit (except his won was red), and he smiled proudly at his sister, at his right arm. Mabel grinned down at her friends, standing in a beautiful pink gown, definitely Grenda’s finest piece of work to date. She had short sleeves that fell off her shoulders and the dress ruffled pleasantly, just the right height. What’s more, her headband was gone and she wore a back-crown of pink flowers that matched her dress.  
  
Ford could feel Stan’s chest swelling with pride. Stan smiled as the kids walked down the stairs, and when they touched the floor, Stan bowed to them. Mabel and Dipper let go of each other and bowed low respectfully at their hosts. Then they all burst into giggles over the sophisticated nature and hurried to the ballroom.  
  
Not only Melody the piano, but every musical instrument in the castle was playing for the small party. Stan put Ford on a musician’s stand, open, so he could see and talk. Mabel took Dipper by both hands and they began to waltz together. Stan blinked in pleasant marvel that peasants could dance so well without any formal instruction. Holding hands rather than fips and arms, they laughed and spun. Mabel even lifted their held hands and spun Dipper. Stan laughed and Mabel skipped to him and grabbed his paws.  
  
“C’mon, don’t hug the wall!” She giggled and pulled him further onto the dancefloor.  
  
Stan waltzed with Mabel, Dipper smiling and watching. He was nervous at first, but the kids melted his worries away and Stan happily led Mabel in a dance. Soon she broke away and Dipper hopped in, both men unashamed to dance together. Then Mabel and Dipper danced. The trio were judging each other, taking turns, and then at the climax of the song they all held hands in a circle and spun and twirled until Stan hoisted them up and sat them on his shoulders. They laughed as the music stopped and they could see Ford writing.  
  
 _Bravo! Magnifique! Bravo, Dipper and Mabel! Well done, Stanley!_  
  
“Another one!” Mabel cheered as the band of self-playing instruments began to play again. Stan put her and Dipper down and Mabel rushed to Ford, tenderly picking him up and closing him. “Here, you should have a turn, too.”  
  
Mabel bowed to the book and then hugged him close to her chest and did a simple two-step with him, not wanting to risk any pages flying out or dropping him. Stan smiled at the girl dancing with his brother and he called, “Looking great, pumpkin!”  
  
“Thanks!” Mabel replied.  
  
Stan took Dipper’s hands and they danced, this time more crazy and less traditional. Stan even showed the boy his favorite cocky-dance and Dipper laughed and did it, too. For another hour, the party went on. Ford was mostly placed on the music-stand, explaining he liked it best to watch, and soon Mabel’s feet ached and Dipper was short of breath. All of them hot and sweaty, they went out to the huge balcony with Ford to cool down. Stan sat Ford on the polished stone and Dipper and Mabel sat with them, smiling with red cheeks.  
  
“Having fun, knuckleheads?” Stan asked.  
  
“Yeah,” Mabel breathed with a smile. “Thank you so much! We always have so much fun with you.”  
  
Stan ignored the heat in his face by changing the subject. “Who taught you two how to dance, anyway?”  
  
“Fiddleford.” Mabel said. “I used to step on his toes a lot and Dip-Dip here had no rhythm.” And she gently elbowed him.  
  
Stan, on the other hand, noticed how withdrawn Dipper was and how he was looking out at the forest below them. “What’s the matter, kid?” He asked gently.  
  
Dipper didn’t want to ruin the fun, but something heavy was on his heart. He gave Stan a sorrowful look and said, “I miss him. I just wish… I wish we knew if he was okay.”  
  
Mabel sagged a little, like a flower with no water, and took his hand. Stan’s ears drooped and he looked away, thinking about the situation. Maybe he should try to find Fiddleford again… wait. “I think I know just the guy that can help.” And he smiled down at the journal.  
  
“Ford?” Dipper asked. “Can you tell us where Fiddleford is?”  
  
Stan opened the journal. _No._  
  
The kids were crestfallen again. “Oh.”  
  
 _But I can show you._ Ford wrote, searching. _Look at my hand._  
  
Stan closed the journal and the golden six-fingered hand shined before showing a reflection of Fiddleford. The kids gasped in horror as he was huddled by an old tree, coughing hoarsely, pale and freezing in the snow with a broken arm. Mabel’s eyes instantly filled with tears. “Fiddleford! Oh no! He needs help!”  
  
“What do we do?!” Dipper asked.  
  
Stan had no idea what to do. He opened the journal for an answer and found a map being drawn on a page. On the opposite page, words formed. _This will show you the way to your guardian. Take it._  
  
“We can’t rip…” But before Dipper could finish, the page fell out of the journal and onto the floor. Ford had intentionally drawn it on the page he could feel falling out.  
  
 _Go._ Was the only word left, and it did not fade away.  
  
Dipper folded the map and pocketed it in his coat. Stan looked down at Ford, doing some quick thinking. Stan saw no possible way of breaking the curse. No one would ever love Stan. The kids were about to leave and they were never coming back. If he couldn’t break the curse, maybe he could set Ford free, even if it meant they would never see each other again. Stan closed the book and held him out to the children. “Here. Take Stanford with you.”  
  
The kids stared at the journal, the golden hand twinkling in the moonlight. “What?!” Mabel shook her head. “We can’t do that! You’re a family, and family sticks together!”  
  
“Take him,” Stan said firmly. “You three should have each other. You can always look back and remember me, if you want to.”  
  
“No!” Mabel shook her head. “We won’t have to, cuz we’ll see you again! Soon! Once Fiddleford is okay, we’ll come visit you!”  
  
“Yeah man,” Dipper jumped in. “What are you acting like it’s goodbye for? We’ll see each other again, don’t worry. Come on, sis, let’s save Fiddleford.”  
  
Mabel ran with Dipper away to go save their only family left. Stan watched them go, his brother in his hands. He wasn’t sure what to believe.  


* * *

  
Gideon pounded the bed with his little chubby fists before settling down. It wasn’t fair! Crazy Old Man McGucket nearly got everyone in town lost in the woods and was now missing, too, all for nothing! Mabel was out there, probably ran away, and Gideon had no way to get to her! The whole thing was stupid, stupid, stupid! The ten-year-old soon relaxed, exhausted from the work, and fell asleep.  
  
 _It was a starry night sky, nothing more, nothing less. Gideon looked around and froze when a collection of stars made a triangle constellation. The constellation shined bright and in a flash appeared a triangle with one eye, a top hat and a bowtie, twirling a cane.  
  
“Well, well, Short Stack,” It said to the boy. “Having a little lady trouble, huh?”  
  
At once, Gideon’s fears were gone when he thought this thing might actually listen to him. “Yes! Mabel loves me, but something’s always been in the way!”  
  
“Right you are, but don’t worry, kid.” The triangle said. “I know exactly where she is! Get this, she and her brother were kidnapped by a dangerous monster, a ferocious beast, in the woods. The castle’s haunted and nearly impossible to find, but you’re destined to take this ugly beast down and save your damsel in distress.”  
  
“I KNEW IT!” Gideon cheered and punched the air. “Where’s my marshmallow?!”  
  
“Hold it, let’s shake on it, first.” Bill said and held out a hand that was engulfed in blue flames. “If I help you, you gotta agree to help me later in return.”  
  
“Deal.” And Gideon shook his hand._  
  
When Gideon woke up, in the same hand he shook, was a map as clear as a bell on how to find the monster. He snorted a laugh and got up to gather an angry mob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, geez. Lots to say. First off, can you imagine how PISSED I was not only that the live-action movie didn’t have Human Again, but on Disney+ that scene is deleted too! I might be the only one, but I LOVE that whole cleaning musical number and seeing Belle help Beast re-learn how to read. (I decided not to do that since Stan’s been practicing reading for over thirty years.) So, yeah, I put the song in here and adjusted it a bit. And yes, the twins cleaning the ballroom was forever foreshadowing, not just the dancing scene, but what the kids were doing to their new friends.
> 
> I wanted to give both kids what we were deprived of in the canon GF show: Dipper and Stan bonding and Ford and Mabel bonding. Yes, we got Boyz Crazy and the Last Mabelcorn, but I’m greedy and say that’s not enough. Also, Mabel’s dress, according to artsycrapfromsai, is supposed to be a fusion of her dress in the Northwest Manor and Belle’s dress, which I LOVE! (plz will someone draw it)
> 
> And now… yeah, I guess I can’t talk much about the cliffhanger without getting spoilery, huh? All I’ll stress is how many of the townsfolk were tired and cold and frustrated over the failed rescue mission when Gideon was throwing his little tantrum and that factor may play in later. Like why it takes so long to gather up a mob.


	7. Invading the Castle

Dipper, Mabel, and Waddles hastily traveled through the forest. They may have a map leading them to Fiddleford and then to the village, but the wolves might still come. Dipper led the way with a lantern he had borrowed from the castle and the map Ford had given to them. Mabel looked ahead and screamed before running with Waddles at her heels. Dipper looked up from the map and nearly dropped it in shock.  
  
He hurried to the tree Mabel was kneeling at and examined Fiddleford. He looked more dead than alive, his skin pale, almost blue, and heavy bags under his eyes. He must have been searching for them this whole time. Without a single word, much like how they helped Stan when he was hurt, the twins stood on either side of Fiddleford and helped carry him out of the woods.  
  
It was the middle of the night when they arrived home. It would have been comforting if the circumstances weren’t so dire. Fiddleford might be dying. The children quickly worked together, fixing medicine, building a fire, dressing their guardian warmly and putting him to bed, until they finally admitted defeat to sleep and curled up with Fiddleford in his bed.  


* * *

  
The first thing Fiddleford noticed was how warm he felt. And better, much better. Oh. No. No, no, no! Did he die?! Is he in heaven?! He can’t die yet! The children! He wanted to quickly jump up and act, but his body was weak and he ached. Oh. Okay, good. He was still alive.  
  
He forced his eyes open and though his vision was blurry, he smiled weakly to find the kids at his sides. Mabel and Dipper both beamed at him, perfectly safe and okay. Mabel was dressed in her blue peasant dress and cloth headband, Dipper in his navy-blue nest and hat with an orange shirt. He gave Fiddleford his glasses and he croaked, “Welcome back.”  
  
“Kids,” Fiddleford sat up and slipped on his glasses, then wrapped each child up in a tight hug, which they happily returned. “Oh, thank God. Thank God. I thought I’d never see y’all ‘gain.”  
  
“We missed you, too, Fidds.” Mabel cooed. “You’re finally awake…”  
  
“What on God’s green Earth happened t’y’all?” Fiddleford asked as he loosened his hold.  
  
“You wouldn’t believe it, Fidds!” Mabel cheered as she sat on her knees next to him. “There was this beast in a castle and a talking hammer and an axe and a teapot and all sorts of magic inside and a poor journal who couldn’t talk or eat or sleep and…”  
  
“But the beast and the journal - Stan and Ford - are our friends. They took care of us.” Dipper cut Mabel off. “Well, everyone in the castle did, but the guys are awesome! They’re twins, like us, and under a curse.”  
  
“And we have to help them!”  
  
Fiddleford blinked, completely and utterly confused, but then he smiled. “I believe ya.”  
  
The twins are a bit surprised, but then again, they were talking to one of the most open-minded people they knew. “You do?” They asked at the same time.  
  
“O’course.” Fiddleford said. “I always said this world’s gotta lotta thangs we don’t quite get. Some thangs are just different, like us. N’ I trust y’all enough to know ya wouldn’t lie ‘bout this. Now, y’all said they’re under a curse?”  
  
“Yeah, and to break it, Stan the beast has to fall in love with someone and they have to love him, too.” Mabel answered. “We were gonna try to help by finding a match for him, courtesy of the best matchmaker in the world!”  
  
“Hm, well, if…” Fiddleford stopped when he thought he heard yelling coming from outside. “Did y’all hear that?”  
  
“Yeah, what’s going on?” Dipper asked and they went outside to investigate.  


* * *

  
Stan sat on Abuelita the armchair, watching the sun set behind the woods. His mind was elsewhere. Ford, his journal closed, noticed this and wished to help or comfort him, but the beast, back in his normal attire of red cloak over a white shirt and dark pants, was too distracted to open a journal and read at the moment.  
  
The sun was now gone, all light but from candles lost, and Stan sighed. He needed to say something. He cautiously opened the journal and said, “I’m sorry, Stanford. I’m sorry I couldn’t set you free.”  
  
 _Stanley,_ was the only word for a while, but then Ford managed to write more. _You were willing to let me go. Thank you._  
  
“No,” Stan shook his head. “It’s my fault you’re trapped.”  
  
 _Don’t blame yourself. I’m the one that summoned Bill in the first place. I fell for his easy flattery, but you saw him for the scam artist he is._  
  
“I didn’t exactly make this curse easier for you.”  
  
 _No, perhaps not._ Ford admitted, but then quickly added, _But your heart was in the right place. You’ll never admit this but you were afraid. I understand; when the curse was first brought upon us neither of us knew how to respond. Accidents happen, Stanley._  
  
“Yeah, and I’m chop full of ‘em.”  
  
 _Even still, I won’t lie to you. All those years you never opened me, kept me in that glass container, I nearly went insane. There were so many times I didn’t know if I existed anymore. That wasn’t even the worst of it. All I could do was listen and watch you suffer alone._  
  
“I know, I know!” Stan growled. “That was probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve done some really stupid stuff, and I’m sorry.”  
  
 _It’s alright. I forgive you. I should have been a better brother to you. I should have seen your pain and done something about it years ago._  
  
“And now you’re gonna die like this.” Stan said darkly.  
  
 _As will you._  
  
“Who cares?”  
  
 _I do! And those children care, too!_  
  
The tiniest of smiles flickered on the beast’s face. His memory brought back those kids for a moment, a beautiful, glorious moment. Dancing with them, reading stories, teaching Dipper how to fight and hugging Mabel close to his furry chest.  
  
 _You miss them, don’t you?_  
  
Stan sighed, a tired old man. “Yeah. I love them.”  
  
 _I know you do. And because you love them, they will be with you, in your heart, for evermore._  
  
Stan, once again, cracked a small smile at that. He had no idea if they found Fiddlebucket or not, or if they ever made it home, but he hoped that they were safe and happy.  
  
 _Do you wish to see them?_ Ford asked. _Look at my hand. You can see them whenever you want._  
  
Stan, excited, closed the journal and looked at the six-fingered hand. He grinned at the sight of the children, standing at a front door with an old man with a long beard and big nose. His smile dropped when the children looked scared and uncertain. He watched as echoes of voices grazed his large ears.  
  
“What’s going on?!” Dipper asked. “What are you all doing?!”  
  
“Dipper!” Lazy Susan gasped. “Mabel! You’re okay!”  
  
“But… how…” Blubs stuttered. “Gideon says you were kidnapped by some beast in a castle!”  
  
“What?!” Mabel gasped and shook her head wildly. “No, no! He saved us! He saved our lives! He’s our friend!”  
  
Stan beamed with pride.  
  
Lil’ Gideon paled. “I… I don’t understand. Y-You were t-t-trapped by a monster!”  
  
“He’s not a monster!” Dipper snapped. “Mabel’s telling the truth! The beast wouldn’t hurt anyone. He gave us a place to stay and took care of us.”  
  
“Yeah!” Mabel said as she and Dipper left the porch of their home to talk to the angry crowd. “He’s sweet and kind and gentle. You don’t have to be afraid of him. He’s a very good person. He even liked Waddles!”  
  
“No, I don’t!” Stan growled with a smile, unheard by everyone except for Abuelita and Ford. The old armchair rolled her eyes, knowing her boss was lying.  
  
Gideon’s face reddened, his chubby face curling inward in fury. “Of course! The beast has them under his spell! I’ve heard of dark magic like this, but never before seen it with my own eyes!”  
  
“What, no!” Mabel cried out. “Officers, you don’t believe him, do you? You won’t let this happen, will you?”  
  
“Sorry, kids, but we trust Gideon over a couple of odd-balls like you.” Blubs said coldly, arms crossed over his chest. “And nothing short of a miracle could ever change that.”  
  
“NO!” The kids shrieked and turned to Fiddleford. “Fiddleford, tell them!” Dipper called. “Tell them it’s not true!”  
  
The angry mob laughed. “You’d put your word on a loony old man?! The same guy that destroyed the town three times just this month?!” Durland cackled.  
  
“I done rebuilt it every time!” Fiddleford defended.  
  
Gideon stood on his dazzling white horse and called out to the townsfolk, “You see?! The spell spreads! Look at what the monster has done to our poor friends!”  
  
“He’s not a monster, Gideon,” Mabel snarled and pointed at the white-haired boy. “YOU ARE!”  
  
“ENOUGH!” Gideon hopped down and grabbed her wrist so tight she winced in pain. Stan growled dangerously. Dipper yelled and was about to act, but Ghost Eyes grabbed a hold of him. “Don’t worry, Mabel, once I kill the beast and the spell is broken, you shall finally be my queen! Keep them safe! Lock them away! We can’t have them gettin’ in our way!”  
  
“NO!” Mabel cried out as a big beefy man grabbed her and shoved her, Dipper, and Fiddleford into a cart and it was locked up. “HELP! HELP US!” Dipper rammed his body against the iron doors to try to escape, but it was useless.  
  
“The beast will come after us all! He’ll come after us in the night!” Gideon called out to the crowd, who cheered and yelled. “I say we kill it!”  
  
“YEAH!”  
  
“NO!” Mabel cried as tears ran down her face. “DON’T HURT HIM, PLEASE!”  
  
“We're not safe until he's dead!” Northwest concluded.  
  
“He'll come stalking us at night!” Mr. Valentino gasped.  
  
“Set to sacrifice our children to his monstrous appetite!” Manly Dan cried out, hugging his three sons so tight their faces turned blue.  
  
“He'll wreak havoc on our village if we let him wander free!” Lazy Susan feared.  
  
“So it's time to take some action, fellas!” Gideon called out. “It's time to follow me!” And the crowd began to gather guns, torches, pitchforks, and chanted “kill the beast” courageously into the night.  
  
Stan stood up quickly and left the armchair, throwing the door open. “Soos! Wendy! Get over here!” Soos and Wendy hopped over as quick as they could. “We’ve got a code Piertotum Locomotor! Man the boundaries! Protect the castle! Get ready for battle! Go, go, go!” And the beast left to organize the attack, all the while he couldn’t shake away the blossoming feeling that those kids were willing to risk their lives for him. Maybe he was worth it, after all.  


* * *

  
Even after the mob marched away, Dipper continued to throw himself against the doors, making loud bangs but no progress. “DIPPER, STOP!” Fiddleford grabbed him and rubbed his shoulders. “You’ll hurt yourself, calm down.”  
  
“We have to do something!” Dipper cried out. “This is all our fault! They’ll kill him! We have to help!”  
  
“Hush, boy, hush.” Fiddleford hugged him and rubbed circles into his back. “We’ll think o'somethang. We _are_ three geniuses, after all.”  
  
Mabel looked out the window, though the bars, and tried to find something that could help. Her eyes dazzled at the sight of her pig as he ran up to the cart and oinked. “WADDLES! Waddles, we need your help! Go get us a pry bar! You can do it, Waddles, go find one! Good pig!”  
  
“Mabel,” Dipper scolded. “He’s just a pig! There’s no way he even knows what a pry bar is!”  
  
“C’mon, Dipper, have faith!”  
  
“No, no! YOU need to be realistic! I love Waddles, too, Mabel, not there’s no way he’s gonna…”  
  
The pig squealed with joy and the three humans peered down to find a ring of keys in his mouth. Mabel gave her brother a sassy look.  
  
“Well, it’s not a pry bar.” Dipper quipped.  
  
Waddles tossed the keys in the air and Fiddleford put his arm through the window and caught them. He pushed himself against the door and started to fiddle with the lock and the keys. “One of these gotta be it…”  


* * *

  
Manly Dan led the team to chop down a huge pine tree and cut it so they could use it as a battering ram. The mob hoisted it on it’s shoulders, following Gideon on his noble steed and Ghost Eyes marching beside him. “Take whatever booty you want, but the beast is mine!” He called out, using the map Gideon had woken up with in his fist to find their way.  
  
Gideon grinned to find the castle before them and they ran up to the giant doors. Miraculously, it only took one hit and the doors flew open, giving the invaders a false idea that this would be easy. They found the castle filled with items in the lobby, like a rich yard-sale. Gideon left his horse outside and led the crowd into the dark and quiet castle.  
  
Books, chairs, chests, dishes, nearly every type of item surrounded the unafraid villagers. Ghost Eyes leaned down to whisper to Lil’ Gideon. “Aren’t you worried this place might be haunted?”  
  
“Don’t lose your head, Ghost Eyes.”  
  
The bodyguard picked up an axe from a table and held it, ready to attack anything that may come his way.  
  
“NOW!” The axe cried out, and the castle lit up with life as the battle began.  
  
Drawers smacked people in the face. A coat-rack boxed with one of Manly Dan’s sons and won quickly. Pots fell on people's heads and clashed with metal spoons and pans, making their ears ring. A chest consumed people and dumped them back outside like dumping out trash. Grenda stood from the second floor and cried out, “GRENDA’S JOINING THE PARTY!” and she fell on top of Ghost Eyes. Gideon dodged out of the fight and went up the stairs.  
  
Three men were coming towards her to attack, but Grenda had cloth and material swarm around them and soon they were dressed in drag. Two of the boys screamed in horror and ran, but Tad Strange only stared ahead and said calmly, “This is fine.”  
  
Robbie was kicking tea cups and trying to squish them, but Candy hung from the above chandelier and spilt boiling hot tea on the crowd. Wendy was running away from Manly Dan’s own axe, but Soos came out of nowhere and hammered him in the face, knocking him out cold. Melody burst through the doors of the ballroom and shot her keys like bullets.  
  
Meanwhile, using Ford’s given map, Dipper, Mabel, Fiddleford, and Waddles were running up to the castle and gasped to find the battle before them. “Hurry!” Mabel cried out and they hurried up to the front door.  
  
Fiddleford used his banjo to swing at people’s heads. Waddles bit people’s ankles. Killbone was about to go after Fiddleford for helping the enemy, but Lazy Susan hit him over the head with her rolling in, knocking him out cold. “Susan?! But I thought…?”  
  
“I’m sorry, old friend, I just didn’t wanna be locked up.” Lazy Susan explained as she and Fiddleford fought back-to-back. “Claustrophobic. Plus I could’ve very well fight the bad guys locked away, could I?”  
  
“Ah, gotcha. Well then!” Fiddleford swung his banjo and hollered, “Fight like a hillbilly, woman!”  
  
Mabel and Dipper punched people and shoved them out of the way as they hurried up to the West Wing to make sure their friends were okay.  


* * *

  
Minutes prior, Gideon cautiously opened the door, a bow and arrow in his chubby hands. His eyes immediately landed on the handsome journal on the table. He noticed the six fingers on the golden hand and he hypothesized that this journal must have the answer to undoing the spell Mabel was under. No wonder it was so well cared for while everything else in the room was ruined beyond repair.  
  
Gideon walked into the room to take the journal, but the door slammed behind him and he spun around, arrow ready to shoot. His eyes widened at the huge gray beast before him, peering down at him with cold brown eyes and on all fours like an animal.  
  
“Last chance, kid.” The beast growled warningly. “Get out before things get ugly.”  
  
“You mean uglier than you, never!” Gideon declared and shot his arrow.  
  
Stan dodged it, but soon saw that it was a distraction so the little troll could run to Ford. The beast tried to get their first, but just a few feet shy and Gideon had the journal in his chubby hands. “I got it! I got it!”  
  
“Give it back.” Stan snarled.  
  
“Why?” Gideon asked coldly with a wicked smile. “Why’s it so important, monster?”  
  
“Just give it to me.” Stan was careful to sound firm, but he looked in no hurry to hurt a kid or his brother.  
  
Gideon opened the journal to find it blank. He flicked through the pages roughly, losing his temper, and when he concluded that the answers he was looking for were not here, he ripped a page out and yelled in fury. Stan grunted and sunk, like he was in pain. Gideon noticed this and grinned as an idea came to his twisted mind. This journal must be the source of his powers! Destroying it would free Mabel! Gideon ripped out another page, then another, and another.  
  
Stan growled on all fours and curled in on himself in overwhelming pain. He tried to shake his head and clear away the distraction, but he could practically hear Ford’s screaming in his ears, even if it was only his imagination, and it was maddening. “Stop it… stop it… STOP IT!” Stan gnarled at Gideon.  
  
“Or what, huh?” The child mocked. “What are you gonna do, huh? Huh?! Face it, foul creature, without this book you’re nothing!” He laughed and tore out another page.  
  
Gideon suddenly cried out in pain and dropped the journal. Stan huffed and puffed to try to compose himself. He looked up to see Dipper and Mabel standing in front of him, facing Gideon, both of them wearing scary looks and Dipper had his fists curled and ready to strike again.  
  
Gideon rubbed his pale chubby cheek. “Ow! What the… how did you…?”  
  
“Doesn’t matter.” Dipper snapped. “You’re leaving. Now.”  
  
“Oh, am I, boy?” And Gideon ran to him to punch him.  
  
While the boys punched each other and fought, Mabel hurried to Stan and petted his shoulder, trying to soothe him and help him feel better. “Stan? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”  
  
Hazy still, Stan weakly looked up at the girl and smiled. “Mabel… you came back.”  
  
“Of course we did.” She looked back at the fight and saw that Gideon was having a slight advantage. He shoved into Dipper and they both fell through and broke a window, toppling down the roof. Mabel and Stan yelled with worry and ran after them.  
  
The boys tumbled and rolled, punching and slapping each other. Dipper fell on a balcony and groaned with ache while Gideon squealed and kept on going. He fell on a slanted roof and staggeringly got up. Like a scrawny cat, he climbed up to Dipper and kicked him in the jaw. Dipper quickly rolled up on his feet and used the lessons Stan had taught him to fight.  
  
Mabel quickly slid down the slanted tile roof and jumped into the fight. She punched Gideon in the jaw and found that his stuck-up traditions made him not hit a girl. She and Dipper took advantage of this weakness and worked together to beat up their enemy until he fell and didn’t get up. He rubbed a swollen black eye and looked up at the angry pre-teens before him. The beast, he noticed, was over on the next roof and letting the twins handle their own battle with a huge smile.  
  
“Listen, Gideon,” Mabel said coldly. “It’s over. I will never ever be with you.”  
  
“Yeah!” Dipper backed up and Mabel kicked him in the head, just hard enough to knock him out cold.  
  
Stan hopped down behind the twins and had his hands on his hips. “Nice technique, pumpkin.”  
  
“Stan!” They both cried out with relief and ran up to him. Stan got on one knee and engulfed them in a hug. Mabel nuzzled her face into his fur and Dipper held him tightly. “We’re so sorry, we tried to stop them but they wouldn’t listen to us!” The boy said.  
  
“It’s okay, kid, it’s okay.” Stan soothed and rubbed his back as he purred. “I know.”  
  
“You know?”  
  
Mabel gasped with a huge grin. “Ford! He showed you, didn’t he?! You asked to see us, didn’t you?!”  
  
Stan shrugged and put the kids down to ruffle their hair. “What can I say, I missed you knuckleheads.”  
  
Mabel squeezed his paw. “We missed you, too, Stan.”  
  
Meanwhile, Gideon’s one unswollen eye opened yellow and slit, like a cat’s. He rose and flexed his fingers and arms, getting used to his body. Standing with his back to the happy reunion, he began to cackle evilly.  
  
A chill ran down Stan’s spine. His grip on the twins tightened. “I know that laugh.”  
  
Dipper’s jaw dropped. “No… it couldn’t be… it’s impossible...”  
  
Gideon turned around and they saw his eye. Stan growled protectively and hunched over the kids. “Bill Cipher.”


	8. The True Kinda Love

“Well, well, well well well well well well well well!” Bill’s voice echoed from Gideon’s mouth. “Good to see you again, beast, you’re looking good.”  
  
“You,” Dipper snarled. “You’re the one who cursed him.”  
  
“Hey, hey, you’re not as dumb as you look, Pinetree.” Bill taunted.  
  
“You’re gonna pay for that!” Dipper suddenly broke from Stan’s hold and charged at Bill, but when he raised his hand, the boy suddenly floated and couldn’t move. “What?!”  
  
“Possession and curses aren’t all I can do.” Bill shared boastfully. He suddenly fell back and rolled as a giant claw left-hooked him in the face. Dipper fell face-first and was assisted up by his sister, free from Bill’s spell.  
  
“RUN!” Stan shouted back at the kids as he moved towards Bill swiftly, but neither Dipper or Mabel moved.  
  
“You think you can defeat me?!” Bill cackled maliciously. “I’m the Master of the Mind! The Demon of the Nightmare Realm! You’re just some unwanted monster! A disgusting creature! You’re vile! You’re foul! You’re flawed!”  
  
“Also CUTE AND FLUFFY!” And Stan pounced for the kid, but Gideon suddenly floated in the air.  
  
“Maybe you can fight me, but they can’t.” Bill snarled and dove for the kids.  
  
“NO!”  
  
The three rolled down onto another balcony and Bill had Gideon’s hands around Dipper’s neck, choking him. Mabel elbowed him off of her brother and Bill had no issue hurting a girl, so he punched her and they began to fight. Bill quickly kicked Mabel away and Dipper hurried to her. Bill clapped his hands together and made a long dagger appear between his palms, grabbing it and ready to fight. “Let’s get this over with.”  
  
Dipper buried Mabel’s face into his shoulder and he stood in front of her protectively. He closed his eyes and winced when Bill suddenly moved forward, but no pain came to him and he heard a loud, agonizing roar. He looked up to find Stan between the kids and the enemy, and Bill had stabbed him. Stan had taken the dagger for Dipper and Mabel.  
  
“NO!” The kids screamed and hurried to his side and he fell on one knee, his paw clamped over his wound, trying to ignore it and face a bigger issue.  
  
Bill dropped his dagger, which disappeared once it hit the floor, and laughed, first a low chuckle but then an ear-splitting cackle. Something gold emerged from Gideon’s body and the boy fell, unconscious. Bill, kicking his legs and holding his triangular body, laughed down at the suffering mortals before him.  
  
“Oh ho, this is just too perfect!” The demon declared. “What’s even better than killing those kids?! Killing Stan! Now the curse will never be undone and Sixer will be gone soon enough! Good job there, beast! Thanks for making my job es… AAAAAGH!”  
  
Stan had gathered the last of his strength and punched Bill right in the face. Because Stan was directly connected to the curse, he could touch the demon in a way no one else could. Bill crumbled under Stan’s knuckles and the echo of his horrible scream rang through the night. Stan gasped for breath and fell back, completely drained as so much blood was leaving him from his side. Dipper and Mabel gasped in horror, shaken from their shock of Bill’s demise, and were at his right side.  
  
Mabel, the closest to his head, petted his cheek and the side of his face. “Stan? Stan?!” She begged, his eyes closed.  
  
The old beast forced his brown eyes open and they sparkled up at the kids. “Hey,” He grunted. “You’re back.”  
  
“We told you we’d come back.” Dipper said shakenly. “We couldn’t… this… this is all our fault.”  
  
“No,” Stan firmly pushed that notion away, his breath staggering as he winced in staggering agony. “No… it’s okay… it’s better th-this way…”  
  
“Don’t talk like that.” Mabel scolded and cupped his furry face with her little hand. “We won’t lose you… we can’t lose you. You’ll be okay. We’re all here now, it’ll all be okay.”  
  
Stan smiled at her hope, the kind of hope he wished he had, and as he struggled to breath, he lifted a shaking paw up to her to return the kind gesture. Mabel held his hand up to the side of her face and let a tear fall on his thumb. Stan combed her hair gently with his claws and, despite being at Death’s hand, despite the pain, despite the end being so close, he was happy. He chuckled weakly. “Heh. Looks like I was good for something after all.”  
  
Mabel shut her eyes and held his hand even tighter. Dipper blinked hard, refusing to cry, and then looked back down at his friend. Stan closed his eyes with a smile, and then his breathing stopped.  
  
Mabel dropped his hand and stared, tears rolling down her face. “No… no…” She frantically tried to wake him up, to bring him back. “No, no, _no_!”  
  
Dipper watched in horror. He was so overcome with grief and shock that he seemed to shut down. As his twin desperately tried to be hopeful and tried to find a solution, he knew that, once again, he would have to be realistic and make Mabel see the cold, harsh reality.  
  
Finally, she looked up at her brother’s own wide-eyed, grief stricken face. “It-It’ll be okay, right? Right? He’ll be okay… _right_?” He was the smart one; if he could somehow see a possible way for this to all work out and for Stan to be okay and for them to be a family…  
  
Dipper somehow found it in him to shake his head, a tear escaping his eye. Mabel, shaking, collapsed on Stan’s still chest and clang to his shirt and fur for dear life, sobbing in agonizing grief and pain. Dipper cried and hugged his sister with a trembling arm around her shoulder, his other grasping Stan’s shirt.  
  
“You can’t go, you _can’t_!” Mabel cried. “You just c-can’t…” Her voice cracked halfway through her pleas. She was heartbroken and tired. Dipper swallowed, and together they whimpered, “We love you,” preparing to say goodbye.  
  
Dark clouds rolled over the skies. Dipper and Mabel both cried unashamed over their loss. Neither of them had any idea what to do, so they just stayed there and sobbed over Stan’s limp body. They didn’t even notice a bolt of sparks falling down. Or the next. Or the next two.  
  
But Dipper thought he heard something and glanced up as more silver and gold magic fell from the heavens. “Mabel,” He lightly shook her shoulders. “Mabel, look.”  
  
She forced herself to look up and she gasped at what was happening. Even more unhindering, Stan’s body slowly began to rise. Dipper dragged Mabel back and they watched with tears in their eyes as Stan’s blood-soaked cloak wrapped around him and he became engulfed in golden light. Terrified, Dipper and Mabel held each other, worried that his body might be taken away.  
  
When the light vanished, the maroon cloak was free of blood and a man wrapped in it was being set down carefully, the magic fading away. The kids noticed, though his back was to them, that this man had pale skin and long, gray hair, and was in Stan’s ripped white shirt and torn dark pants. The mysterious man slowly made his way to his feet, as if he was moving his body for the first time in his life. He stared and flexed his hands and arms, clutched at his stomach, savoring everything.  
  
And then suddenly he turned around. His brown eyes were bright, not at all faded like his hair, and his eyes immediately locked on Mabel and Dipper. The boy tightened his hold on his sister, still traumatized and very paranoid. The man moved his mouth, struggling to form words, his jaw shaking, until he finally spoke one word. “Kids?”  
  
They knew that voice. No one else had that voice. And the look in his eyes, his warm brown eyes, the same ones _he_ had. As he stared at them with shock, wonder, disbelief, awe, and love. There’s only one person it could be. “STAN!!!”  
  
He got on one knee and let the kids hurl themselves into his strong arms. With each child on his shoulder, crying their hearts out, Stan held them tight and grinned with shut eyes, savoring this moment. He chuckled warmly and just having him _here_ and _alive_ was all Dipper and Mabel could have ever wanted. So much so that it took them a minute to fully understand what had happened.  
  
Dipper lifted his head and wiped his tears away. “But, _how_?” He breathed. “How is this _possible_?”  
  
Mabel turned so she could see Stan’s face, but she kept her cheek on his shoulder.  
  
“Turns out we messed up Bill’s message.” Stan said with a warm smile. “He didn’t say anything romance.”  
  
His eyes moved down to Mabel, who was looking at him misty-eyed. She was still crying. Stan smiled at her and tried to make her feel better with a comforting look. The little girl smiled and lifted a hand to his cheek, cupping the side of his face, feeling his five o’clock shadow and long hair. Stan smiled and rested his cheek in her hand, his eyes closed, but then his eyes popped open and his hold on the kids loosened as a sudden realization hit him like a ton of bricks.  
  
“STANFORD!” Stan hurriedly put the kids down and then ran into the castle for dear life. Dipper and Mabel gasped and tried to follow, but they just couldn’t keep up with the old man fueled with so much adrenaline.  
  
Ford had turned back into a human a few minutes ago, but after going thirty years without using a body at all, he found he had no strength and was too clumsy to function, so he chuckled helplessly at himself and trusted that Stanley would be there soon. Until then he relished in the feeling of breathing, of seeing and hearing properly, of the wonderful feeling of a night’s breeze in his hair. Moses, how he had missed it all. And, somehow, Stanley had done it.  
  
The door was thrown open and without a single door Ford was suddenly pulled up and thrown into a bone-crushing hug, but he just laughed, delighted to hear his own voice again but even more delighted over his brother’s touch. His twelve fingers clung onto Stan’s shirt and his twin buried his face in his shoulder, shaking. What had happened since Gideon picked the journal up was all an excruciating haze to him, but none of that mattered now. Ford finally felt like he had his brother back.  
  
He took note of Stan’s heavy, breathing. Ford just held onto his dear twin and said into his ear, “I love you, Stanley.”  
  
Stan sagged a little, making them both sag since he was mostly holding them up. “I love you, too.”  
  
Ford isn’t sure if Stan believes him, so he repeats himself and then Stan does the same. This goes on for a few minutes, with an occasional “I’m sorry” sprinkled in. Stan moaned this even more woefully. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”  
  
“No, I’m sorry.” Ford insisted upon, his speech muffled by Stan’s ripped shirt. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how much I love you years ago. Then we wouldn’t have had to go through this.”  
  
“It’s fine.” Stan’s own voice is hard to hear through Ford’s brown jacket, “It’s not your fault. It was never your fault. If it was anyone’s fault, it’s mine.”  
  
Ford tightened his grip around Stan, his voice taking a hard edge to it. “You’re wrong. I was the one who was tricked. You were the one who tried to clean up the mess I made.”  
  
“Yeah, well...”  
  
“You’re both wrong!” A voice interrupted and the brothers loosened their hold to look at the door. They found Mabel and Dipper standing at a distance. “It was neither of your faults, you dum-dums! It was the evil triangle’s fault. Geez, I thought adults were supposed to be smart.” She said with a roll of her eyes.  
  
“She’s right, you know. “ Dipper smiled at them, a teasing gleam in his eye. It was unclear which statement, exactly, he was referring to.  
  
Stan and Ford stared at the younger pair of twins for a moment. Then, a low chuckle escaped the eldest, growing into laughter steadily, while the younger brother shortly followed suit. Soon, both were laughing against each other, barely keeping themselves sitting upright. Finally, Stan spoke. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess… yeah. I guess you’re right, kid.”  
  
“Of course I’m right!” Mabel grinned, hands on her hips. “I’m always right!”  
  
Their laughter quieted and the old men noticed the grand distance between themselves and the children. Stan motioned a hand for them to come up to them while Ford smiled shyly, excited to be formally introduced to them. Dipper and Mabel slowly walked towards them and Stan took each of their little hands with one of his own and also took Ford’s. He had his brother lay his hand out flat and he put the kids’ hands on his. “Kids, this is the author of the journal, my brother.”  
  
Mabel and Dipper soaked in his appearance. He was definitely Stan’s twin, but he had his own unique differences. His hair was charcoal gray, shorted and fluffier, and had a gray stripe in the middle of his hair. He had a gold-rimmed monocle over his right eye, his eyes were also a soft brown, and he had a cleft chin. He wore shiny black shoes and fancier clothes, decked in a brown coat with a red scarf tied around his neck.  
  
Mabel and Dipper looked down at their held hands and saw that this man had six fingers, just like the journal. They grinned excitedly and Mabel even kissed his hand before leaping into his arms and nearly knocking him over, but Stan luckily had a strong hand on his brother’s back.  
  
“Ford!” Mabel cried out in joy as Dipper hugged him, too. “You’re back!”  
  
Ford chuckled wetly and blinked away his tears. “Thanks to you two. Thank you so, _so_ much.”  
  
The door burst open and Soos stood there, chubby and grinning as a human again. “DUDES! Look at us!”  
  
Wendy was soon by his side, a beautiful redhead, and cheered, “You guys! You won’t believe it! Everyone’s back! Pacifica, Candy, Grenda…”  
  
“Abuelita!” Soos called and ran to his grandmother, who was sitting in an armchair and taking a nap.  
  
“Soos! _Mi precioso_!”  
  
Stan helped Ford up to his feet as the kids got off of him. They held his hand again and they all just stood together, overcome with joy and happiness and love.  


* * *

  
Almost immediately after the curse was lifted, the two sets of twins fell asleep in front of the fireplace in the lounge, too exhausted from the day’s events to do anything else. Stan was so tired and focused on Ford and the kids that he didn’t even change out of his torn clothes first, but no one cared at all.  
  
Everyone’s hands touched in their sleep. Mabel and Dipper held hands, and they had their hands over Stan and Ford’s. Stan had his arm over Mabel, used to hugging her and Dipper when they snuggled together over stories by the fire days ago, while Ford had his arms wrapped around Dipper, almost using the boy as a teddy bear. He desperately needed to feel the comfort of human contact that holding someone brings. Ford had sat somewhat awkwardly because he was not used to having a body again, but no one minded. Mabel and Dipper both used Ford’s arm as a pillow; poor Ford would feel it in the morning, but again, no one cared. Against pillows propped by on a couch, Stan kept an arm wrapped around his brother. Even in his exhausted state, he had the need to keep him safe.  
  
In the days to come, slow adjustments had to be made. Ford required a lot of assistance, learning how to use his body again, but Mabel was only happy to teach him how to eat and Dipper assisted in walking and Stan was a little too quick to picking him up and carrying him. Stan and Ford invited the kids and Fiddleford to move in with them permanently and they joyfully agreed. Ford and Fiddleford made fast friends and soon little explosions of experiments gone wrong from the study would become normal.  
  
But that was all in the future. For now, they only rested and dreamed.  
  
Right now, Dipper was remembering a distant memory. It was bedtime, and he and his sister at five-years-old were stubborn and didn’t want to go to sleep, but Grandpa Shermie only chuckled and told Fiddlford he could handle it and was left alone with his grandchildren.  
  
“Come now, my shining stars.” Grandpa Shermie said as he picked up Mabel and put her in the big bed she shared with her brother to keep the nightmares away. He combed her hair. He took in a deep breath and sang a song Ma used to sing to him and his brothers a long time ago. “How does a moment last forever? How can a story never die? It is love we must hold onto, never easy, but we try. Sometimes our happiness is captured, somehow our time and place stand still. Love lives on inside our hearts and always will.”  
  
At the same time Dipper was having his pleasant dream, Stan was having his own. Ma was brushing his hair with her fingers and then scooped up Ford to put him in the top bunk as she sang. “Minutes turn to hours, days to years, then gone. But when all else has been forgotten, still our song lives on. Maybe some moments weren't so perfect, maybe some memories not so sweet, but we have to know some bad times or our lives are incomplete. Then when the shadows overtake us just when we feel all hope is gone, we'll hear our song and know once more our love lives on.”  


* * *

  
The next evening, Stan found himself panting as he awoke. He felt sick to his stomach and his head was spinning. He ran a hand through his hair and tried to calm down. In the neighboring bed, Ford was already awake, staring at his hands on his lap. He looked up at Stan with a concerned look. The younger twin sighed and looked away in shame.  
  
A small, timid knock was at the door. “C’min.” Stan called.  
  
The door opened and the masters of the castle smiled to find two children and a pig wishing for their company. They could tell by the look in Dipper and Mabel’s eyes that they must have suffered a nightmare, too. Stan smiled and opened his arms. At once, they ran into his hold and got under the silk covers. Stan squeezed them and tolerated the pig at the foot of his large bed. Mabel looked over at Ford and freed a hand for him. He smiled, honored that they wanted to include him, and he climbed into the bed, as well.  
  
Snuggled together and slowly sinking back into their sleep, Mabel began to mutter a lullaby under her breath for her boys. “How does a moment last forever? How does our happiness endure? Through the darkest of our troubles. Love is beauty, love is pure.”  
  
The elder twins exchanged looks as Dipper began to whisper with his sister. “Love pays no mind to desolation. It flows like a river through the soul. Protects, perceives, and perseveres, and makes us whole.”  
  
“Minutes turn to hours, days to years, then gone.” Stan and Ford sang quietly together, making the kids look up at them with astonishment. “But when all else has been forgotten, still our song lives on. How does a moment last forever?”  
  
“When our song lives on.” The kids sunk into the adults’ comforting hold and soon they were all sound asleep.  
  
  
 ** _THE END_**

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to put in a lot of different Disney references in this story, outside of GF and BatB; if I could draw I would have totally put some Mickey Mouse ears in the background or something.
> 
> One thing that was interesting to write about was Dipper and Mabel’s backstory and Fiddleford’s friendship with their grandfather. Honestly, Shermie doesn’t get enough attention, in canon or in the fandom, so it’s always fun to include him when I can. Sorry I had to be a jerk and kill him off.
> 
> In case anyone is wondering, the song the family sings at the end of the chapter is based off of “Find Me in the Woods”, basically the perfect song for Gravity Falls (and Over the Garden Wall).
> 
> One last thing; primarily this crossover is based off of the animated BatB movie, but I did pull some ideas from the 2017 live-action movie. My opinion of the live-action movie is a tad bias, I’ll admit it (the casting of Emma Watson sold me instantly), but while it’s certainly not better than the animated movie, there are some elements I love, like the piano and the wardrobe’s love story, Lefou’s character development and Josh’s performance, the mob scene I felt was better executed, and I like this version of Maurese better. Expect SOME elements of the live-action in here, like Dipper and Mabel being inventors and their washing machine, but note that it’s mainly based off of the original animated movie.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope y’all enjoy it!


End file.
